Match Report: Second half leads Lightning past AIS

11/DEC/2007 – The Adelaide Lightning maintained top spot on the Australian Defence Force WNBL championship tonight with a strong second half performance leading them to an 89-69 win over the AIS in Mount Gambier.

Adelaide led just 43-40 at halftime before 12 third term points from shooting guard Renae Camino surged the Lightning to a 21-9 quarter win and their ninth win of the season.

On the back of their record breaking Round nine, the AIS battled gallantly in the first half but couldn't contain the plethora of Adelaide attacking options.

Camino scored a game high 29 points on 14-of-25 shooting to go with seven rebounds while American Tracy Gahan tallied 19 points and eight rebounds, Erin Phillips contributed 11 points and five rebounds and Jess Foley added 10 points and five assists.

Marianna Tolo continued her excellent form with a 19-point, 14 rebound double-double to lead the AIS. Cayla Francis contributed 13 points and seven rebounds and Mia Newley scored 13 points.

Adelaide improves to 9-and-3 while the AIS drop to 5-and-8 and are one of five teams in the desperate battle for the third and fourth playoff spots.

Adelaide jumped out of the blocks and opened up a 7-0 lead before the Institute leveled the scores at 12-all and at one stage held a three point lead. The teams went basket-for-basket for the rest of the term with Adelaide taking a 24-23 quarter time lead.

In an immensely tense second quarter, the lead changed hands on a number of occasions - the AIS's biggest lead was two points and the Lightning's biggest margin four points in the term - before Adelaide took the quarter 19-17 to hold a slender 43-40 halftime lead.

But it would be the closest the AIS would get to the preseason championship favourites as Adelaide started the quarter on a 14-4 run before eventually establishing a comfortable 63-49 three quarter time lead.

The AIS toiled hard in the final term with Francis bagging eight points but the offensive depth of Adelaide enabled them to win the term 26-20 and the second half 46-29.

Adelaide face the fourth placed Townsville Fire at the Distinctive Homes Dome at 2pm on Sunday while the AIS also face the Fire next Friday night in Townsville to open Round 11.