Jack Toft
Years ago
Finals Action - Lightning v Fire
The Adelaide girls have put the Adelaide boys to shame this season and have proudly stormed into the major round of the WNBL, again! It's familiar territory for them.
Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you don't always like. Tonight, the Lightning are at the WNBL table and have been dished up a spicy little entrée called Townsville Fire. Usually quite palatable, but with an occassional lingering aftertaste on the palate if not eaten properly.
They carry form into this game that should worry the Fire. The Lightning have won their last 7 in a stretch that is hotter than the Whyalla Blast Furnace casting floor after a tweir tap on a 44 degree day. The Bat Girl is the league’s leading rebounder plucking nearly 10 boards a game and leading scorer with 21.3 ppg, and just because she can, she’s also the leading blocker as well with 2.6 blocks per game. Pretty impressive stats and should hold her in good stead come awards night. But the Lightning are far from a one woman show with plenty of talent across the roster. It should come as no surprise to Hoopsters that my favourite Lightning player is Jenni Screen. I like her work ethic and determination and reckon she would give Peach a run for his money in an arm westle. But experience counts for everything in finals and cool, calm heads and great leadership are forged from years of experience and can make the difference. Two words that should send a shiver down Townsville’s spine. Jo. Hill. Her leadership and experience might just be the distinction on the final report of the Lightning.
The Townsville Fire have been called Adelaide Lite for good reason. Chris Lucas needs no introduction to SA Basketball fans and his team boasts impressive links to SA. Foley, Flanagan, Newley, Thompson, and Romeo are all former Lightning players or who got their start in SA. Regardless of their links, they are wearing the wrong uniform tonight and for 2 hrs should be as popular with Lightning fans as Kevin Rudd is with Julia Gillard.
These teams have played three times this season with the Lightning extinguishing the Fire easily the first two times, but the Fire winning the third encounter 73:70 against a team minus the Bat Girl.
These girls need your support. Get down to the stadium and make some noise. Buckle up and enjoy the ride! There’s no reason why the Lightning shouldn’t expect a Victorian main course next week.
