Match Report: Boomers edge Lightning again

8/DEC/2008 – The Bulleen Boomers have defeated the defending Champion Adelaide Lightning for the second time this season with a 89-79 victory at the Veneto Club Sunday afternoon.

The Bulleen Boomers have done what no other team in the league has been able to do in the Australian Defence Force WNBL so far this season.

Not only is Bulleen the only team to have defeated the current defending Champions Adelaide - but they have done it for the second time this season and in doing so have won the split over them which could prove beneficial at the end of the season.

In front of a packed house and a great atmosphere, the Boomers unit came out the aggressor in the first quarter, shooting the ball at 50% and they led the visitors 10-2. Veteran Katrina Hibbert was playing her first game at the Veneto Club after a 5 week injury break and impressed the home fans with a quick fire 5-points with Shelley Hammonds continuing her season MVP performance by dominating the paint at both ends early.

Adelaide, led by Cayla Francis and Rebecca Duke, worked their way back into the game to be down 19-25 at the end of the first. Although not winning on the scoreboard in the first quarter, Adelaide dominated the boards and was really what kept them in the game the first half.

Jessica Foley opened the account for the visitors in the second quarter as Bulleen's shooting dried up for a few minutes allowing the Lightning to take the lead for the first time with 7 and a half minutes to go in the second term. Hibbert's jumper, followed by a Desiree Glaubitz 3-pointer steadied the ship and allowed the Boomers to regain the lead. Unforced turnovers in the first half by the Lightning -9 to the home sides 1- allowed Bulleen to go into the break with a 10 point advantage 40-50.

The 3rd quarter saw the Boomers extend their lead and Coach Cheryl Chambers would have been very happy that her half time talk focusing on winning the boards didn't fall on deaf ears. The Boomers pegged back the rebound count and that in return showed on the scoresheet- with the margin expanding to as many as 17 points late in the quarter.

In the 4th quarter, as expected, Adelaide threw everything at Bulleen in a desperate effort to bridge the gap. The Boomers shooting dried up for the second time during the game as they plummeted to 20% (3-from-15) but good finishing from the free-throw line (83%) helped keep their advantage. Adelaide guards Foley and Angela Marino combined for a total of 15-points in the last quarter to make the Bulleen crowd realise what a quality win this was going to be against the league leaders. After a shaky finish the Boomers held out the late charge from the Lightning to win 89-79

Adelaide coach Vicky Valk said after the game "The girls weren't ready to play, we let them get too many offensive boards and we turned the ball over way to much. If you take into account those two things, there is 54 points"

Lisa Pardon came off the bench for the home side and her impact was automatic. Pardon, who won Coach Chambers MVP for the game, came out all guns blazing and proved more than a hand full offensively for the Lightning team (equal season high 17pts@65%). Also earning praise from the coach was inside player Shelley Hammonds with an 18-point and season best 13-rebound game.

Coach Chambers said before the game they needed a team effort if they were to succeed and that was precisely what the girls delivered. Point guard Sharin Millner, although quiet offensively, did her job at the helm controlling the tempo and inside players Elyse Penaluna, Hammonds and Zoe Carr all worked hard , with Carr especially making the most of her minutes. Kylie Reid, although not seeing a lot of court time, played down the stretch, hitting a big 3-pointer and showing great poise when needed. Desiree Glaubitz, ever the rock, worked relentlessly in defence all game and played a great Captains game.

A win today locks the Boomers in to 4th position with a 9-win and 4-loss record, and cements the fact that they are a serious contender for the title come March.

Bulleen Boomers 89 (Shelley Hammonds 18, Lisa Pardon 17, Katrina Hibbert 10, Elyse Penaluna 10) def Adelaide Lightning 79 (Cayla Francis 24, Jessica Foley 15, Tracy Gahan 13)

Report by Boomers Media