In Thursday night hoops, the Melbourne Tigers and Dandenong Rangers battled it out in a doubleheader. See the full results and game reports below:
Melbourne's dominant first win 103-75 over Dandenong
In the first of two games on Thursday night at MSAC, the Melbourne Tigers dominated the Dandenong Rangers with an impressive 103-75 win.
Melbourne's triumph was a team effort, with Sam Simons leading the charge with 24 points, supported by Stephanie Blicavs's 22 points. Jade Melbourne orchestrated the offence beautifully, dishing out eight assists with nine rebounds and 17 points, showcasing the WNBA player's all-around game.
Jade Melbourne is cooking ??
— NBL1 (@NBL1) April 4, 2024
At half-time the @Seattlestorm fan favourite is up to 10 points, six rebounds and two dimes ?
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The team shot an impressive 55.8 percent from the field and 50 percent from outside the arc, leading to their commanding win.
Despite the loss, Rangers fans should be impressed with Manuela Puoch. The 17-year-old had an outstanding game, scoring a team-high 23 points and seven rebounds.
Imogen Rock also contributed with a double-double, scoring 15 points and pulling down 12 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to counter Melbourne's offensive. The team's struggle was evident in their 17 turnovers, which Melbourne capitalised on.
Coming off an ACL injury, Rangers junior Dallas Loughridge had an impressive 14 points to continue her comeback.
The Tigers' next game in Round 1 will be on Sunday, against the Nunawading Spectres streaming live via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App.
MELBOURNE TIGERS 103 (Simons 24, Blicavs 22, Melbourne 17).
DANDENONG RANGERS 75 (Puoch 23, Rock 15, Loughridge 14).
Dandenong clinch victory over Melbourne
The Dandenong Rangers finished a hard-fought win against the Melbourne Tigers, 88-82.
Former Cairns Taipan Tad Dufelmeier was instrumental in the victory, notching an impressive 18 points and leading the charge with five steals, showcasing his two-way prowess.
Tad Dufelmeier launched it ?
— NBL1 (@NBL1) April 4, 2024
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Mason Peatling also made a significant impact, the NBL1 South champion put up a double-double in new colours with 15 points and 14 rebounds. While Jack Roberts added a vital 19 points, including a critical fast-break finish that helped seal the deal for Dandenong.
While the Melbourne Tigers were in the game until the very end, they weren't able to finish it due to their shooting. Unable to match the Rnagers' outside consistency, the Tiger shot an icy 27 percent compared to Dandenong's 40 percent. However, there were plenty of bright spots -- especially Tom Wilson.
Throwing down a hellacious jam, the former SEABL MVP made an impressive in his first game back in a basketball jersey -- scoring 23 points with seven assists and four rebounds.
TOM WILSON THREW IT DOWN ?
— NBL1 (@NBL1) April 4, 2024
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Mason Gaze and reigning NBL1 South Co-MVP Jack Purachse added 20 points each, but they ultimately couldn't close out the win.
The Dandenong Rangers continue Round 1 on Saturday against the Casey Cavaliers, streaming live via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App.
DANDENONG RANGERS: 88 (Dufelmeier 18, Roberts 19, Peatling). 15).MELBOURNE TIGERS: 82 (Wilson 23, Gaze 21, Purchase 20).
