Dandenong star Michelle Brogan embraces team-mate Emily McInerny after the Rangers’ remarkable comeback win over the Canberra Capitals on Friday night. By Paul Pickering
AN improbable comeback victory over the two-time defending champions has the Dandenong Rangers within one win of the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) grand final.
The Rangers seemingly shocked everyone but themselves in rallying from 19 points behind to stun the Canberra Capitals 60-54 at the Australian Institute of Sport on Friday night.
Having lost all three encounters with the Capitals this season – including a punishing 28-point defeat the previous weekend – the Rangers looked set to be bundled out of the playoff series at halftime of the semi-final clash.
But as Dandenong entered the rooms trailing 33-18 at the main break, first-year coach Dale Waters chose not to berate his troops for a wayward first half.
“I took the relaxed approach and said to them: ‘Girls, I think you’re just a little bit tight’,” Waters said.
“And the way they came back, showed some really good character.”
The Rangers’ second-half resurgence was sparked by skipper Caitlin Ryan (18 points) and Michelle Brogan (12, seven rebounds), but it was the suffocating defence of Rachael Flanigan that restricted Cap’s guard Nat Hurst – who had tormented Dandenong in previous games – to just seven points for the night.
In a typically dogged defensive display, the Rangers pressured Canberra into a dismal shooting clip of just 23 per cent after halftime.
And while retiring Cap’s veteran Tully Bevilaqua hit a three-point bomb to reduce the margin to one in the final minute, the Rangers held on to complete a famous victory.
Having squeezed into the playoffs with a 12-12 regular season record, the Rangers have now booked a preliminary final clash with the Adelaide Lightning – who lost to Sydney Uni in the other semi-final – this Saturday.
But despite the magnitude of his team’s achievements, Waters and his charges wasted little time celebrating over the weekend.
“It’s great to get a win and especially the way we came back, but I think you’ve got to keep it in perspective,” Waters said.
“And even in the dying seconds, some of our experienced players stepped in to make sure we didn’t get over-excited.
“I suppose it always helps when you’ve got girls who’ve been there (the playoffs) and done it before, but I think it’s also a reflection on the maturity of the group.”
Looking ahead to Saturday’s match against Adelaide, Waters said the Rangers had a healthy respect for the regular season ladder-leaders, but certainly had no fear.
“I think it’s a case of the best offensive team in the league (Adelaide) playing against the best defensive team in the league,” he said.
And despite Dandenong being the only team to have beaten the Lightning twice this year, Waters said his team would again be the overwhelming underdogs.
“Nobody expected us to go this far,” he said.
“And I think they’ve relished that, because they know, within themselves, that if we’re all on the same page we’re a very decent team.
“So the concept of having no expectation on us has been a real challenge.”
Saturday’s match at the Distinctive Homes Dome in Adelaide will be shown live on ABC TV from 4pm.
