Last chance Lightning: At 3-8 with five losses in a row, the Lightning need to make their move now with now a fourth place finish starting to slip away - Photo credit to WNBL
1-Minute Read
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WNBL ROUND 9
Adelaide Lightning vs Townsville Fire
When: 7:30pm (ACDT), Thursday 5 January
Where: Adelaide 36ers Arena (Formerly Adelaide/TS Arena – The Lighthouse)
Broadcast: Nine Now
STRIKE BACK IN HISTORY
Lightning hold off late Fire-throwers to win thriller
A strike back to the championship era of the 2000s with one of the strongest Lightning teams to take the court in the 2007/2008 season.
The Fire led an enormous comeback through Kelly Wilson and 193 WNBL shooting guard Tania Baxter while Bianca Abbott had a huge double double of 15 points and 10 rebounds – Jenny Crouse also pulled in 13 rebounds to go with nine points.
Tracy Gahan went bigger with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists with Jenny Whittle leading the Lightning to what looked like a match winning lead at half-time.
Have a read about here in this recap from the broadcaster of the time the ABC.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-10-27/lightning-hold-on-against-fire/2579120
Key Matchups to keep an eye on
- Lauren Mansfield vs Steph Reid
- Jacinta Monroe vs Tianna Hawkins
- Izzy Borlase vs Mikaela Ruef
What Borlase has done at the defensive end makes me think with the departure of Kierstan Bell this could eventuate. The job she did on Maley in the third quarter of the Bendigo game and with Talbot needing to guard Karlie Samuelson makes me think that Ruef may get Borlase at times depending on what combination the Lightning go with in their starting five.
ONE QUESTION TO STRIKE ON
Doe this result really determine a finals finish?
Yes and No – there are few permutations here…
Adelaide trail Townsville 0-1 in the series while also trailing them with two wins while also lodging five extra losses which they can’t afford to drop anymore.
A win tonight helps the Lightning if it comes down to a tie on the ladder by season ends but mostly they need to win enough games regardless of result tonight.
With the Flames, Spirit, Fire away, Flyers, Capitals twice away, Flames away then Lynx twice at home – there are still plenty of winnable games to go 75 percent from here but they’ll need to be on their game start of this year.
So who wins?
The Lightning will have a tough game tonight – they are every chance against the Fire but Townsville have a strong record against Adelaide having won nine of their last ten at the Arena.
The Fire are in the better form but I hope I’m wrong in the big scheme of things.
COD Prediction: Fire by 8 points
CROSS OVER DRIBBLE 