DROUGHT BUSTERS
ROLLERS WOMEN WIN
GOLD Coast Rollers coach Michael Van Dongen says finals are not entirely out of his team’s reach after they recorded their first Queensland Basketball League win in 25 games against Gladstone yesterday.
The Rollers went winless through the entire 2017 season and started this year 0-6 but turned the tables yesterday, to post an 86-70 victory over the Port City Power.
It was a relief for players such as Shanelle Tolley, Christine Obermeier, Nyah Morris and captain Siarn Woods who all went through last season without a win.
Van Dongen said the Rollers felt they had a strong chance against the Power and started to see the results of work put in by a squad that has experienced significant change this year.
“We’ve had a lot of new players come into the group this season and it’s taken a while for them to all gel,” he said.
“We had an import (Dana Brown) come in a couple of weeks ago, so it’s taken another little while to get her on the same page as others.”
Brown finished with 10 points, four assists and three steals, while Alicia Carline had 14 points and 14 rebounds, and Kate Hewett finished with 16 and six rebounds.
The Rollers have been competitive this season despite their record and Van Dongen hoped yesterday’s win could be a turning point.
The Rollers just missed a winning double for the club, with the men losing 98-93 to the Power to extend their losing run to three games.
Christian Salecich and Matt Adekponya both had 24 points, and Dwayne Vale contributed 19 points.