Match Report: Foley fires Lightning rout

8/JAN/2007 – When the Adelaide Quit Lightning signed Jessica Foley out of Duke University, the club knew it was getting a richly-talented offensive player who would have a major influence on how exciting its team could be this season.

What coach Chris Lucas did not know was how good a defensive player he was getting in the bargain.

As Adelaide grabbed Perth's Lynx by the tail and swung them around a few times to the tune of a 76-46 belting, Foley and Lightning skipper Sam Woosnam were two of the reasons why.

Woosnam (15 points, eight rebounds, eight assists) was simply brilliant, breaking Adelaide from its early slumber with a steal and lay-up that had Perth coach Paul O'Brien calling for a time-out.

She was everywhere, scoring nine of Adelaide's 21 points. Considering the Lynx as a team only had nine points in the first term might explain why O'Brien was exhorting more from his team.

Foley stopped him from getting it.

Assigned the defensive contract on Perth's leading scorer Carly Wilson, Foley did an exemplary job.

Wilson was delivering 17.2 points per game going into this contest at the Distinctive Homes Dome but scored her first basket on a backdoor move with 7:20 left in the third period.

Her only other bucket came at 4:11 in the third and that one was over Lauren King.

Wilson finished with four points at 20 per cent, held scoreless for three quarters. And she only sat out the game's final 2:11.
"Jess's defence was just terrific," Lightning coach Chris Lucas said. "At halftime Carly hadn't been able to score and I just told Jess to keep doing what she was doing. She was super."

With Wilson shut out, Melissa Marsh struggling and Angela Marino unable to find any latitude from Erin Phillips, the Lynx looked extinct one minute into the second period after Phillips and Dee Ranford bumped the home side's lead to 25-9.

Jasmine Finnigan then stepped up for a basket, followed by a three-point play before Marsh hit a jumpshot.

Suddenly it was Lucas taking time-out as Perth showed life at 16-25.

A King turnaround jumpshot and a Foley fast break restored order, Adelaide going on an 11-2 tear to halftime, only Crista Hays breaking the drought.

From 36-18, the Lightning pushed it to 58-30 as Tracy Gahan became more active and Phillips and Foley nailed triples.

Kristen Rasmussen opened the last quarter with a sweet baseline move for 60-30 and the Lightning steadily cleared its bench, all 12 players seeing action, 11 scoring. And that was with veteran playmaker Narelle Lindsay (ill) not even suiting.

"She rang just before the game to say she was crook in bed," Lucas said.

"I knew we would miss her but Sam stepped up again. She has been our most consistent player this season.

"She has been doing a great job."

ADELAIDE QUIT LIGHTNING 76 (S Woosnam 15, J Foley 13, T Gahan 11) d PERTH LYNX 46 (C Hays 10, J Finnigan 10, M Marsh 9) at Distinctive Homes Dome.

Match report by WNBL.com.au