Lightning late show too much for Ansett
LIGHTNING entrenched themselves in the top three of Darwin basketball’s League Women competition with an ultimately comfortable victory over a five-player Ansett on Friday night.
The match was still up for grabs at three-quarter time before the women in black finally adjusted to Ansett’s zone defence and pulled away for a 75-58 success.
The win ended Lightning’s two-game losing slide – both defeats to unbeaten ladderleaders TV Jets – and saw them move within percentage of the league’s other strong side, Palmerston.
Coach Jason Ivinson welcomed back Grace Morcom, who scored eight points in her season debut.
Dominique Carbone and Hayley Hendricksen chimed in with 17 apiece and teammate Kira Pendlebury chipped in 14, but it was Ansett’s Ruta Valiulyte who poured in a game-high 23.
“We’re definitely improving, but we’re nowhere near where we need to get to,” Ivinson told the Sunday Territorian.
“We need to get the ball up the floor a bit more, because we’re running a lot of halfcourt stuff, which is fine, but it’s not exposing what the opposition gives us.
“We’re still scoring in games, but we’re not making it easy for us ... I’m happy where the girls are, but by the time we finish I want to be in the top two to give us the second chance.”
Ivinson is confident of his side playing finals, but pointed out three teams – Ansett, Eagles and Razzle – were only two games off their 4-2 pace.
“We got another win in the win column, which is what we want to do this time of season, especially against the lower sides,” he said.
“We all know about the Jets and we rate Palmerston, particularly with the Boundry girls (Jaylene and Edith) and their new big girl from the ADF (Jeska Mathews). They’ll be hard to beat and are a more mature side compared to us.”
Palmerston consolidated second spot with a second straight cakewalk against the slumping Eagles – this time 69-39, including restricting Joe Johnon’s team to four last-quarter points.
Brittany Ward led Power with 16 points, while Michelle Friel had 15 for Eagles.
League-leading scorer Tikesa Docherty-Cole put up 34 points in the Jets’ 106-21 demolition job on Razzle, who got 13 points out of Lailani Triffitt.