Basketball New Zealand

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Adelaide & Tall Fern point guard Angela Marino takes on Christchurch Sirens counterpart Ashley Awkward (ImageSport NZ)

Geoff Longley, Christchurch Press
The Christchurch Sirens suffered an Adelaide Lightning strike last night – blitzed 92-66 to lose their unblemished Australian Defence Force WNBL league home record at Cowles Stadium.

Shooting for seven wins in a row at the Cowles Cauldron proved one too many for the Sirens, who bowed to the front-running Lightning, a warm favourite for the championship crown.

Adelaide handed Christchurch a lesson in all facets of the game if it aspires to be a play-off team in coming seasons. Yet despite Adelaide’s all-round dominance, several of Christchurch’s leading players sold themselves short on previous performances.

Coach Leigh Gooding was disappointed with the returns of a number including rebounding specialist Donna Wilkins who was down to a meagre three for the night.

“We need her to be getting double figures on the boards and probably Aneka Kerr too,” Gooding said.

Lively point guard Noni Wharemate, who had been a significant contributor in recent weeks, also had a quiet match.

The Sirens now have a day’s travel today to ponder where they went wrong before facing Townsville in Townsville tomorrow night to close their pre-Christmas campaign.

Adelaide’s speed, strength and skill just proved too great for the fledgling franchise and the Sirens were always lagging after a sluggish start which left it trailing 8-0.

The Sirens could not match the visitors offensive finesse around the hoop, Adelaide shooting at a healthy 50% and 46% from three-point range. By contrast the Sirens, who took as many shots, but were down at 36% overall and 27% from outside the arc, some not even striking the hoop.

Six of the Adelaide players finished with double figure returns befitting their all-round ability across the court while the Sirens could only reply with three.

Several of the Sirens bench players again shone with Lisa Wallbutton continuing to progress after a lengthy injury lay-off, while Toni Edmondson produced a special play at the end of the first half dribbling through a forest of defenders with the clock counting down to score on the buzzer.

It is not hard to see why Tall Fern Angela Marino cannot make the starting five for the visitors when they have Australian Opal point guard Erin Phillips, on the comeback trail from injury, in such fine form.

The support cast included fellow Opal Renae Camino, American Tracy Gahan, who sat out the final quarter after receiving a facial injury, Jessica Foley and Sam Woosnam, with Marino just managing 17 minutes.

It also seems barely conceivable that Adelaide had a coaching ruckus early in the season and its original coach was sacked by owner Vince Marino.

Adelaide Lightning 92 (Renae Camino 14, Tracy Gahan 14, Erin Phillips 13, Lauren King 12, Samantha Woosnam 11, Jessica Foley 11) Christchurch Sirens 66 (Lamisha Augustine 12, Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe, 11, Lisa Wallbutton 10)