Boomers back in contention for a finals berth
By STEPHEN HOWELL
Monday 7 February 2000

On the ball: the Boomers' Michelle Cleary prepares to shoot during her side's comforable victory over Dandenong Rangers. Picture: JOE CASTRO

Bulleen Boomers live. The long arms of Australian centre Jenny Whittle picked them up yesterday, after Friday's near-death experience, to resuscitate their Women's National Basketball League finals hopes.

Bulleen, with Whittle scoring 27points on 10-12 shooting, put the game out of Dandenong Rangers' reach at Bulleen in another hard-fought local derby.

The Boomers lost 85-80 to Melbourne Tigers in a hotter contest at Melbourne Park on Friday, when Whittle scored 10 of Bulleen's first 12points but did not score again until she brought her team to 81-80 behind with a three-point play inside the last minute.

Whittle, who stands at 197centimetres, often appears under-used in Bulleen's offence - as she was with Perth Breakers last season - but after she gave 31strong minutes yesterday, coach Lori Chizik said: "I'm so happy for her that she finally had a game like this.

"There's been a lot said that we don't get her the ball, (but) teams are playing good defence on her. We wanted to go to her and we did. We made a point of trying to keep going to her."

Dandenong's talls came up short, unlike Tigers Michelle Griffiths and Kristin Folkl on Friday.

Yesterday's result gives Bulleen a 2-1 record over the Rangers, which could be vital in the short run home, depending on how the Boomers cope with the Adelaide-Perth double next weekend.

Bulleen, more than Dandenong, realised it was playing for its playoff life. It raced to a 20-point lead, survived a Rangers' run that closed the gap to six, and moved clear again in a stretch that brought 11stops in succession.

Chizik considers the Boomers to be better than their record shows. "We've had three losses since Christmas but we've played well in those games," she said.

"The Tigers (on Friday) had to play almost their best basketball to win that and we played almost our best basketball. You can't really ask for much more, except for the win." That came yesterday.

Which way will the finals cards fall? The top deck is as good as settled, with Canberra Capitals (15-5) and Adelaide Lightning (12-7) to play in the second-chance semi. The proviso is the Lightning getting one more win, which seems certain with a home game against the Australian Institute of Sport (1-19) after the Bulleen match.

But where the rest of the competing pack finishes after game21 is anyone's guess, with head-to-head results vital in determining the other semi-final.

The weekend's results leave Perth Breakers third (10-8, with Bulleen at home, Sydney away and Canberra away still to play); Dandenong Rangers are fourth (10-9, Sydney at home, Melbourne at home); Sydney Flames are fifth (9-9, Melbourne away, Dandenong away, Perth at home); Bulleen Boomers are sixth (9-9, Adelaide away, Perth away, Melbourne at home); and Melbourne Tigers seventh (9-9, Sydney at home, Bulleen away, Dandenong away).