Match Report: Foley fantastic as Lightning floors Spirit

26/JAN/2008 – The Adelaide Lightning showed why it is the best team in the ADF WNBL with a commanding performance against the Bendigo Spirit at the Schweppes Centre on Friday night.

The league-leading Lightning cruised to a 12th-straight win, thrashing the fifth-placed Spirit 101-76.

Spirit coach Bernie Harrower was a frustrated man after watching his side slump to its fourth-straight defeat.

"It was a very disappointing effort," he said.

"We had a chance to stand up in front of a big crowd and take on the best team in the league and we were poor.

"We didn't handle the pressure well, and I think our confidence is shot."

Adelaide set up its win with a three-point barrage in the first quarter.

The Spirit matched the visitors in general play, but execution at the offensive end of the floor was the difference.

Adelaide's Jess Foley hurt the Spirit with three three-point bombs in the opening period, while centre Jenny Whittle and Renae Camino also found range from behind the arc to give the Lightning a 29-19 lead at the first change.

That margin quickly ballooned to 15 when Foley opened the second term with another three-pointer followed by two more points to Whittle.

With his starters struggling, Harrower went to his bench and Jasmine Finnigan and Lisa Pardon provided the spark.

The duo led the Spirit on a 13-2 run as the home side cut the deficit to four.

Adelaide steadied again through Foley and Whittle and pushed its lead out to double figures, before two three-pointers from Pardon put the Spirit back into the contest.

But the Spirit's good work was undone in the final two minutes of the half as Opals point guard Erin Phillips took over.

The livewire guard scored five straight points as the Lightning unleashed a 7-2 run and gained an 11-point lead at half-time.

Any dreams of a Spirit comeback in the third term were quickly put to bed.

Adelaide made the Spirit look second-rate in the first half of the third quarter scoring at will.

Camino, who had been quiet in the first half with just five points, scored 12 third-quarter points as the Lightning burst to a 25-point lead at three-quarter time.

The Spirit battled on gamely in the final period and drew the quarter, but the damage was well and truly done.

The Spirit's cause wasn't helped by the below-par performances of star duo Kathleen MacLeod and Jenna O'Hea.

MacLeod was well held to 10 points, six of which came in the final term, while O'Hea had a night to forget.

The Spirit forward scored just two points on one-of-10 shooting.

Harrower let his frustration known in the third term by benching his two best players for a long period of time.

Karen Ashby led the Spirit with 17 points and four rebounds, while Gabe Richards added 15 points and Finnigan 10.

Foley was the standout for the Lightning with 20 points on five-of-eight shooting, including four three-pointers.

She also had five rebounds and five assists.

Whittle added 16 points and four boards, and Camino scored a game-high 22 points, but 17 of those came in the second-half.

The Spirit will now hope fourth-placed Dandenong loses its two road games this weekend against Townsville and Sydney.

The Spirit return to the Schweppes Centre next Friday to play Townsville.