Rangers answer

By Paul Pickering
“FEISTY’’ was the word used by Dandenong coach Dale Waters to describe his team’s 76-42 drubbing of the Australian Institute of Sport at the weekend.
And that word will now become a motto for the Rangers, because Waters believes his new-look team may have found its identity at Stud Road on Saturday night.
Waters issued his charges a challenge during the week, asking them to share the scoring load – being shouldered by star import Jenni Benningfield – and ramp up the defensive pressure.
He received an instant response. The Rangers overwhelmed the visiting students – including Dandenong juniors Liz Cambage, Stephanie Cumming and Rachel Jarry – with their extended defence and an array of offensive contributors.
Benningfield (eight points, five rebounds) scored all of her points in a tight and physical first quarter as Dandenong established a 21-16 lead.
Her battle with Cambage (13, 6) and Jarry (2, 5) inside was a fascinating side-script for local fans, and it was Cambage who guided the AIS to within two points midway through the second term.
But it was the energy of Dandenong guards Nicole Hunt (15, 5) and Katie Rae Ebzery (5) – both recruited from the AIS during the winter – that finally broke the students early in the third quarter. The Rangers lost none of that spark when Amelia Todhunter (7, two steals) replaced Hunt in the point-guard role, as the pint-sized backup thrilled the crowd with a series of hustle plays and two fast-break baskets.
Another reserve, forward Caitlin Cunningham (12, two steals, two blocks), stole the show in the last term by draining eight points, including a sweet step-back jumper over the outstretched hand of Cambage.
The students could manage just six points to Dandenong’s 20 in the final quarter as the hometown team revelled in its new-found confidence.
The one-sided scoreline prompted Waters to rest the likes of Emily McInerny (6, 7, seven assists, three steals), who provided value for every second of her 26 minutes on the floor.
Waters joined in the high-five rejoicing on the sidelines in the second half, and was still buzzing after the match.
“I was really excited about the ability of our bench to step up and contribute,” he said. “That’s really important for us, and those girls gave us (the coaching staff) – and their teammates – confidence that they can do that.”
Waters had a hunch the full-court pressure would unnerve the AIS, but now believes it will be a permanent feature of his defence.
“With girls like Nicole and Amelia we’ve got potential to be a lot more disruptive defensively, and generating that pressure allows us to score easy baskets,” he said. “So I think you’ll find that will be an increasing trademark within our game.”
That theory will face a more rigorous test when the Rangers – now in fifth place at 3-2 for the season – face top-of-the-table Canberra Capitals (7-1) at AIS Arena on Saturday night.
“Our confidence is up and we have to keep going,” Waters said of the clash. “It’s obviously a big game for us against the Caps, because we’ve got to keep playing with that feisty approach to our game.”