By RUSSELL BENNETT
WHAT a difference a day can make.
The Dandenong Rangers SEABL men went from a horrific long-range shooting performance against Knox in a seven-point loss on Saturday to a nail-biting one point win over Sandringham less than 24 hours later.
The Rangers couldn’t hit the side of a barn in their first game on the weekend, hitting just six of their 31 three-point attempts against the Raiders in a disappointing 90-83 loss.
Star Knox guard, and reigning SEABL MVP, CJ Massingale torched the Rangers for 37 points, while also pulling down eight rebounds and shooting 13 of 14 from the charity stripe.
Rangers coach Darren Perry admitted his charges settled for far too many outside jumpers in the early going, while also struggling to contain the Raiders’ transition game.
But he highlighted his team’s 27-22 third quarter as one of the positives to come out of the contest.
He’s just disappointed that translated into an “honorable loss”.
“We just don’t want to be in that situation,” said Perry, who admitted to having to turn to his athletic point-guards in an effort to contain a rampant Massingale.
“This is my third season coaching Dandenong and he’s been the thorn in our side the whole time,” Perry said.
“He’s just a really classy player.”
Fortunately for the Rangers, Sandringham didn’t have a Massingale of their own to drain the potential game-winner late in Sunday’s contest.
Perry said that clash “mirrored” the contest from the night before.
The Rangers again bombed away from downtown, but this time hit a much-improved nine of 31 to roar back from 21 points down at half-time and claim an impressive win.
Perry said his team’s third quarter performance on Sunday was “even better” than Saturday’s, as Dandenong dominated the period with a 28-9 burst.
Yet the Sabres stuck around and still had the chance to secure victory with a jumpshot in the dying seconds.
“It was just a real reminder for us to knuckle down,” Perry said.
Tony Lewis dominated the contest with 33 points (on 50 per cent shooting) and 19 rebounds (10 offensive).
Perry described him as “a third quarter monster”, adding “when he plays like that, he’s almost impossible to stop”.
The coach said his players “made their own luck” in the third quarter, as Sandringham shot just 14 per cent from the field.
“There was nothing but hard work from us on the defensive end,” Perry said.
“The opposition couldn’t rebound or make the tough shots.”
Perry will be looking for his side to generate its offense from the paint this Sunday against Frankston, rather than looking for its outside shots first.
“We need to put pressure on the rim,” he said.
“And if we keep them to 20 points or less it’ll take the pressure off our offense.”
Dandenong is currently third the East conference standings, just ahead of Brisbane.
The Rangers women sit one better in second despite also splitting their two games over the weekend – thrashing Knox 80-61, but losing by nine to Sandringham 94-85.
Faith Probst was the star of the weekend, narrowly missing out on back-to-back double doubles.
