Rangers make light work of Lightning

By Paul Pickering
DANDENONG Stadium is fast becoming a house of pain for WNBL visitors after the Rangers’ clinical 98-64 win over Adelaide Lightning on Saturday night.
The emphatic victory brought Dandenong’s unbeaten home run to three, following 25-plus-point wins over the AIS and Logan in recent weeks.
The second-placed Rangers, who improved to 6-2 for the season, overwhelmed the struggling Lightning with a fanatical brand of full-court defensive pressure.
Dandenong’s considerable offensive arsenal was again on full display, with Abby Bishop (22 points), Kath MacLeod (16), Sam Woosnam (13) and Tracy Gahan (13) leading the way, but it was Adelaide’s 33 turnovers that told the real tale.
MacLeod, the floor general who leads the Rangers for points (15.4 per game) and assists (5pg) this season, said the extended pressure had been a focus during the week.
“(Coach Mark Wright) has us working really hard on that at practice,” she said.
“Offensively, we know we can score, but defensively, he wants us up and pressuring for 40 minutes.”
The fullcourt press put the Lightning on the back foot early, allowing the Rangers to take a 3618 quartertime advantage on the back of Steph Cumming’s buzzerbeating triple.
Dandenong shot 12of16 from the field in a redhot first frame and finished at 47 per cent on the night, including eightof21 from beyond the arc.
Bishop’s all-court game gave the Lightning defence some serious headaches. She had 20 points mid way through the third term.
The Rangers looked equally dangerous when they went small, exposing Adelaide for speed during an extended period late in the second, when guards MacLeod, Cumming (10) and Chantella Perera (10) ran riot.
They led 83-47 one minute into the last term, before easing off the gas to cruise home as easy winners.
Ex-Adelaide stars Gahan, Jess Foley and, in particular, Sam Woosnam, all made handy contributions.
Lightning forwards Mia Newley (17, 11 rebounds) and Tegan Cunningham (10) put up some resistance for the visitors.
It was Dandenong’s second 90-plus-point outing in as many matches, and MacLeod believes the talented group is beginning to gel.
“The last few weeks have just felt so much better,” she said.
“I think we’re getting a bit of rhythm, getting used to playing with each other, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do.”
The Rangers will host sixth-placed Bendigo (3-4) at Stud Road from 1pm this Saturday.