Above: Lester Strong had what was described as “his poorest game in the two years” in last weekend’s semi final.By Marc McGowan
THE Dandenong Rangers men’s and women’s teams have had drastically different fortunes in their respective Big V basketball semi-final matches on Saturday night.
The women’s team was too good for Eltham at home triumphing 72-63, but the men’s team went down by 21 points to minor premier Sandringham at Sandringham Basketball Stadium.
The women’s win gives them a one-game lead in the three-match series, which now heads to Eltham where their opponent will only be stronger.
Despite poor shooting in the first quarter, Dandenong took an 18-14 lead into the second period, committing four less turnovers than the opposition.
The Rangers got on track in the second quarter hitting 56.3 per cent of their shots to increase the lead to seven points at half-time.
Dandenong upped its defensive effort in the third quarter to gain a double-figure break, and the lead proved too formidable for Eltham to make up.
Jess Shearing top-scored off the bench for the Rangers with 20 points, Melissa Colcott hit 18 points and Fazlyn Hartley, who went four from six from three-point range, finished with 17 points and seven rebounds.
“We were confident we could beat them,” Rangers head coach Michael Davies said.
“The lead got out to 20 or 22 points early in the fourth quarter but the girls took their foot off the pedal a bit right at the end.”
Game two is at Eltham High School on Saturday night and, if required, game three will be at the same venue on Sunday afternoon.
Davies does not expect to change his tactics much before Saturday’s showdown, but is wary if the series goes to a third game.
“If game two slips away from us we only have eight players available for Sunday’s match, so fatigue will definitely be a factor,” he said.
The men’s team, which prides itself on its defence, conceded 99 points against Sandringham, but the Rangers’ offence misfired after half-time and only put 78 points on the scoreboard.
Forward Ash Cannan was the Rangers’ best player, hitting 29 points, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out three assists.
Dandenong was let down by its other stars though – with Lester Strong, Mark Roberts and South Dragons’ recruit Brent Hobba all enduring dirty nights.
“It was not his fault that we lost but it was his poorest game in the two years he has played at the club,” said Rangers head coach Warren Dawson in reference to Strong, who has won the Championship Men’s Player of the Week Award three times this season.
“It was very, very disappointing – our worst performance of the year. The playing group was pretty gutted.”
Sandringham stormed out of the blocks, shooting better than 50 per cent from the floor to lead 27-21 at the quarter-time buzzer.
The Rangers roared back into the contest in the second period, hitting 12 of 23 shots to cut the lead to three points at half-time.
The standard of the game dropped off in the second half with both teams’ shooting percentages down, but the Rangers’ drop-off was substantial.
The team shot just 11 for 45 from the field in the second half and failed on every one of its 13 three-point attempts.
Dawson put the shooting performance down to the team’s ineptitude on the defensive end of the court.
“If you get stops the other way, it is always easier to get a rhythm on the offensive end,” he said.
Dandenong now hosts Warrnambool, which had a tough 108-104 win over Hume City, in the preliminary final for the right to play Sandringham for the title.
