Above: Dandenong Rangers coach Gary Fox gives some instruction to Alison Downie before she enters the court.By Glen Atwell
THE Dandenong Rangers prevailed with a win at the Veneto Club in Bulleen on Saturday night, edging out a gallant Bulleen Boomers team in overtime 74-71.
But last-quarter time clock problems almost overshadowed a brilliant display of basketball by both teams.
With a ‘full house’ sign hanging outside the stadium moments before the tip-off, game one of the Michelle Timms Cup was always going to be fiercely contested.
Four points barely separated the two Women’s National Basketball League powerhouse sides all night, as the lead seesawed in front of a capacity crowd, whose support was split between the two sides.
At quarter-time Bulleen led by a single point, and at half-time Dandenong was ahead by two. Bulleen star Hollie Grima was dominant in defence, gobbling up every rebound and denying the Rangers any second chances to score.
Dandenong coach Gary Fox used Jenna O’Hea in short bursts, with her 10 minutes of game time in the second quarter ultra-effective.
With five minutes remaining in the match and Dandenong leading 59-53, Bulleen called a timeout.
Whatever Boomers coach Cheryl Chambers said worked as Bulleen clawed its way back into the game thanks to back-to-back three-point plays by Katrina Hibbert and Sharin Milner.
Talented Ranger Sam Richards then converted one free throw, before the Boomers responded with another two unanswered baskets, taking the lead 63-61.
As the Boomers began winding down the clock, Jacinta Hamilton intercepted a loose pass by Milner and scored an easy basket for the Rangers.
But trouble with the match clock soon took the focus off the on-court action, as the timekeepers repeatedly sent the players back to the future.
In the dying stages of the final quarter, the clock ran from 11.2 seconds to 5.4 seconds remaining as Bulleen waited to bring the ball back into play.
The problems continued in the overtime period as the referees continued guessing the correct time and adjusting the clock back manually.
The Rangers scored a few important baskets in the overtime period to pull away and win 74-71.
Fox said the Rangers had spoken to the league over the time clock incident, and an investigation had commenced.
“It was either a technical problem or human error. We’re going to find that out,” he said.
Fox said it was possible the numerous mix-ups could have cost both sides a number of seconds, but he was just happy to come away with the win.
“It really could have gone either way,” he said.
Rachel Wolters from Basketball Australia said Bulleen had not made a formal complaint, but the issue was being investigated.
“At this stage, we are looking into the issue, but the outcome of the game will not be affected,” Wolters said.
The Dandenong Rangers return to the Dandenong Basketball Stadium this Friday night and should easily account for the Australian Institute of Sport side.
“It’s been a while on the road,” Fox said. “It will be good to get back to Dandenong.”
Tip-off is at 7pm.
