Dandy just hangs on

By Paul Pickering
DANDENONG narrowly avoided the indignity of a loss to the lowly Perth Lynx on Saturday night, rallying from 15 points down to win 76-73 at Perry Lakes.
The visiting Rangers were stunned by a red-hot Perth in the first half, as the Lynx shot 18-of-34 from the field to establish a 47-39 advantage at the main break.
In the absence of captain Deanna Smith and point-guard Tanya Kelly, Perth’s rookie sensation, Rebecca Mercer (29 points), took her cue to assume centre stage.
Mercer led a perimeter assault on the Rangers defence in the first half and went on to connect on five-of-six from beyond the arc for the night.
But the Rangers tightened the screws after half-time, returning to the defensive mindset that became their hallmark en route to a preliminary final appearance last season.
It’s too early to say whether Rangers coach Dale Waters has compromised that defensive grit in his bid to increase the tempo on offence, but the fruits of his off-season labour were on display in the second half.
Gun import Jenni Benningfield (28, seven rebounds) was the catalyst again as the Rangers outscored Perth 20-11 in the third term to take a one-point lead into three-quarter-time.
The Lynx came again in the last stanza, but their enthusiasm got them in foul trouble down the stretch, allowing Dandenong to ice the game from the charity stripe.
The Rangers shot 17-of-22 from the line on the night, while Perth could earn only eight attempts.
Benningfield’s 28-point outing was a season high. The imposing American has now scored 20-plus in each of her three games since arriving at Stud Road and will only get better as she approaches peak fitness.
She received valuable support from livewire forward Alison Downie (11, eight rebounds), who has relished her starting role in the opening month of the season.
Skipper Caitlin Ryan struggled to find her range, shooting 3-of-11 from the field, but still managed to contribute 12 points, four rebounds and four assists to her team’s cause.
For the Lynx, Mercer’s breakout performance overshadowed those of guard Melissa Marsh (19) and centre Carli Boyanich (10) as the home side fell short of registering its second win for the season.
The Rangers improved to 2-2 ahead of Saturday night’s clash with the AIS at home.