Rangers coach Dale Waters and his charges met their match in the undefeated Sydney Uni Flames on Saturday night, going down 62-46.By Paul Pickering
THE Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) returned to Tasmania after a 13-year hiatus on Saturday night, but the undefeated Sydney Uni Flames crashed the welcoming party at Dandenong’s new island home.
Playing their first of five home fixtures in the Apple Isle over the next three years, the Rangers would have been buoyed by the 550 expectant fans who filed into Launceston’s Elphin Sports Centre.
But the red-hot Flames wasted no time in silencing the pseudo-home crowd, opening up an 11-point lead halfway through the first quarter.
Dandenong’s defence was characteristically stingy in the second and third terms, but the Rangers failed to find the net often enough to mount a legitimate revival.
While the Rangers were not disgraced in the 62-46 loss, the result served as a useful indication of where the newly formed squad was at in its development.
“Sydney is certainly the benchmark,” Dandenong coach Dale Waters said.
“That group has been together for a long time, and we’re still coming together as a group.”
Despite his team’s undeniable potential, Waters is still trying to identify the right balance on offence.
In stark contrast to the three-pronged attack provided by the Flames’ Nathalie Porter (15 points), Alica Poto (14) and Mikaela Dombkins (10), only Larissa Anderson (16) could trouble the scorers with any regularity for the Rangers.
And with skipper Caitlin Ryan – Dandenong’s primary long-range threat – registering a wayward one from seven from beyond the arc, the Flames’ defence was able to collapse in on Rangers talls Shelley Hammond and Michelle Brogan.
While young guard Chantella Perera looms as the likely tonic for the Rangers upon her return from the United States next month, Waters is in immediate need of some transition offence.
“Our running game was non-existent,” he lamented post-match.
“We’re a little bit overloaded in the bigs department and we’re still a guard short in our rotation.
“We missed a lot of open shots, but we lacked some urgency in offence and we need to get the ball through hands a lot quicker.”
From the Apple Isle to the Land of the Long White Cloud, the Rangers will be looking for redemption against the winless Christchurch Sirens on Saturday night.
“It’s a bit of a danger game for us,” Waters said, wary of underestimating the team his Rangers thrashed by 24 points a fortnight ago.
“They haven’t won a game, but playing them on their home court.
“If they get off they’re going to be tough to beat.”
