Rangers womens team (from) Paul Flynn (Coach), Sarah Flynn (AC), Tess Meyer (AC), Tony Whatman (TM), Bree Whatman, Bridget Deery, Ellen Kett, Shannon Patterson, Georgi Lovelace, Brooke Zuijdwijk, Emma Gilsenan, Rebecca Magdich, Olivia Luttrell, Jacinta Vandenberg, Kiara Phillips, Gemma Walter, Amanda Meinking, Karina Martin, Keeley Patterson. 85599 Picture: JARROD POTTER
By JARROD POTTER
DANDENONG’s golden patch of basketball championship success continued this weekend as both Basketball Victoria Development League (BVDL) sides won titles.
The women were first up on Saturday night, overcoming a staunchly resistant Nunawading Spectres side to record a 42-38 win.
Dandenong women’s BVDL team made it back-to-back victories in the competition, holding on for a 42-38 win over Nunawading.
With star players Jacinta Vandenberg (12 points, 15 rebounds) and Georgi Lovelace fouled out with a couple of minutes remaining, the Rangers were left to guts out an intense final few moments at the intimidating Nunawading Stadium.
“When two of the starters were fouled out, I was fortunate enough to have the depth coming in off the bench in Emma Gilsenan and Karina Martin, two players who have SEABL experience,” coach Paul Flynn said. “It’s a real luxury to have those players that you can put in as well who never take a backwards step.”
Hoisting the banner for the second time, Flynn said winning the title was a great relief to him.
“Absolute relief and very different feeling to the first one,” Flynn said. “The first one is a lot of excitement, but the second one is relief that you were able to defend and it probably took a couple of hours for the excitement to sink in and an overwhelming sense of pride that we got it.”
Flynn tweaked the game-plan leading into the match, making sure Dandenong would focus on making strong on-ball screens to ensure the Spectres would be forced wide – a plan that paid off in spades.
“Just really happy with the way the girls were able to lock down defensively,” Flynn said. “Made a number of changes in the way we guarded our on-ball screens and forced Nunawading to beat us from the three-point line and the girls followed the game-plan perfectly.
“It paid off as Nunawading got one from 20 at the three-point line, so the girls really took on what we wanted and executed it to the final detail.”
In a low-scoring match, Bridget Deery (nine points, five rebounds) and Vandenberg starred for Dandenong.
“Jacinta had a double-double in a grand final, which is huge,” Flynn said. “Ellen Kett played a pivotal role in the point guard position that was a huge team effort and that was the difference between winning and losing.
The Rangers’ men claimed a 61-55 win over Sandringham on Sunday to win their first title under coach Duncan Berg. Narre Warren’s Calvin Enge led the scoring for Dandenong, hitting 17 points and getting six rebounds. Berwick’s All-Star Five member Garry Dukes (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Lysterfield’s Kane Ewin (10 points, eight rebounds) also starred in the win.
