Rangers reel at

Stephanie Cumming scored a team-high 20 points in Dandenong’s loss to Adelaide on Friday night. 38148 Picture: Stewart Chambers

By Paul Pickering
A LONG-RANGE barrage from Stephanie Cumming wasn’t enough to vault a persistent Dandenong over Adelaide Lightning at Whyalla on Friday night.
Cumming nailed five three-pointers on her way to a team-high 20 points, only to be overshadowed by Lightning centre Cayla Francis in the 75-66 loss.
Francis, a former team-mate of Cumming’s at the AIS, scored 26 points and ripped down 17 boards in a match-winning performance as the home side secured its fifth win of the season.
The Rangers – buoyed by their opening win of the season the previous Sunday – were brave in defeat, but must now start to resurrect an ailing 1-5 record.
They began promisingly and led 22-17 at the first break. Neither side was able to find their range in a low-scoring second, but Cumming ignited the visitors by connecting three times from beyond the arc as Dandenong took a 53-52 advantage into the last change.
The Ranger resistance continued early in the fourth, before the Francis-led Lightning went on a 13-0 run to ice the game.
Dandenong was left to rue a 46-31 deficit in the rebound count, while Cumming played a lone hand on offence.
Forward Megan Moody was the next best scorer with nine. Casey Nash, Faith Probst and Toni Edmondson had six apiece.
In contrast, Francis received sound support from the likes of point guard Angela Marino (19 points) and veteran forward Sam Woodsman (11).
Marino had the better of a spirited duel with former team-mate and recent Rangers recruit Jess Mahony, who found herself in foul trouble and finished with just three points in 20 minutes of action.
On a brighter note for the Rangers, young point guard Nicole Hunt suited up for her first game of the season, returning from a knee injury to dish out five assists in 15 minutes of action.
Meanwhile, former Dandenong star Shelley Burston (nee Hammonds) made her first appearance for the Lighting, having suffered chronic knee problems of her own. Burston had four points and five rebounds in just over 13 minutes on court.
Dandenong will now travel to Devonport to host the Sydney Uni Flames on Saturday night in the first of two home games in Tasmania this season.