Above: Dandenong coach Warren Dawson gets his point across during a timeout on Saturday.By Glen Atwell
THE Dandenong Rangers started the Big V Championship Division season in winning form, thrashing the Waverley Falcons 120-94 in Dandenong on Saturday night.
Import Vince Inglima impressed and demonstrated he has the ability to astutely fill any holes left in the side by the departure of Lester Strong to Warrnambool.
Ash Cannan and Brent Hobba came fresh from National Basketball League duties with South Dragons without missing a beat, scoring 28 and 25 points respectively.
Cannan was largely unstoppable and Hobba was as dominant as ever as the pair looked super fit in their first outing as Rangers.
Dandenong dominated the game from start to finish as Waverley continued to foul its way into trouble.
Racking up 35 fouls to Dandenong’s 21, the Falcons were troubled by the speed of the Rangers, as Andrew Walter, Darren Smith and Wesley Pate ended up fouled from the court.
Dandenong players Mehmed Bektas (15 points) and Jeremy Kirtley (10 points) played strong games.
But it was Inglima that added something special, scoring 17 points and registering four assists and four turnovers.
Inglima’s relentless run troubled his direct opponent Darren Smith, who was increasingly frustrated with the import’s ability to break through the key.
The win sets up a showdown with Warrnambool at the Warrnambool Basketball Stadium on Saturday night.
Lester Strong, in his first game with the Seahawks, scored a whopping 37 points in a match-winning display as his new team beat Hume 127-121 on Saturday.
Strong then scored 34 on Sunday as his team beat Sandringham 113-106.
If Dandenong can hold Strong to no more than 20 points, a win is on the cards, but if Strong can repeat last weekend’s performance, the Rangers might struggle to take the points.
