Dandenong centre Shelley Hammonds scored a team-high 16 points in the Rangers’ 81-57 win over Bendigo on Sunday.By Paul Pickering
DANDENONG Rangers coach Dale Waters is a glass half-full kind of a bloke, but it’s safe to say the prospect of an away double-header against Canberra and Bendigo wouldn’t have filled the Rangers’ chief with glee.
It was with a degree of relief, then, that Waters this week reflected on a 1-1 return from a potentially diabolical weekend on the road.
After losing to the defending champion Capitals 79-64 on Friday night, the Rangers recovered admirably to rout the Spirit 81-57 in Traralgon on Sunday to remain within arm’s reach of the league’s top four.
Bendigo’s recent dominance over the Rangers prompted Waters to rate the win on Sunday as his side’s best of the year.
Given that the Spirit embarrassed the Rangers 67-47 at Dandenong Stadium just a fortnight ago, few could argue with the Waters’ glowing assessment.
While the return of Michelle Brogan from a calf injury certainly buoyed the Rangers, Waters was looking elsewhere to account for a 44-point turnaround since their last outing against the Spirit.
“I thought it was our best game of the year to date, because we had a number of contributors and we really started to connect on the floor,” he said.
Shelley Hammonds led Dandenong with 16 points, while Brogan, Caitlin Ryan, Larissa Anderson and Amelia Toddhunter added 11 each.
Toddhunter – who earned a spot as a development player for the Rangers after moving from Albury last year – made an immediate impact upon entering the game in the first quarter, hitting three three-pointers and creating several more opportunities for her team-mates.
“She got mauled on Friday night (by Canberra’s experienced defenders), but came out on Sunday and her first three shots were threes,” Waters said of the 19-year-old guard.
“She plays with no fear at all.”
Waters will find further reason for optimism in the eagerly awaited arrival of Australian under-21 representative Chantella Perera this week.
Having released struggling American import Kelsey Duoss during the week, the Rangers will be smaller and quicker with the addition of Perera.
The athletic two-guard has been playing and studying at Fresno State University in California while continuing a conditioning program developed for her by the Rangers during the off-season.
She will be introduced to the home crowd on Saturday night, when Dandenong hosts the Perth Lynx.
Having struggled on their own floor of late, the Rangers will be looking to acquit themselves better against the league’s cellar dwellers.
“We owe it to the supporters to put on a good show at home,” Waters said.
Tip-off is at 7.30pm on Saturday night.
