By Marcus Uhe
The Dandenong Rangers’ Women’s National Basketball League 1 (NBL1) side is entering the upcoming finals series in red-hot form, completing the home-and-away portion of the season with a six-game winning streak.
The Rangers finished third on the ladder behind Knox and Keilor in first and second, respectively, thanks to a 16-6 win-loss record through its 22 games, and will face Keilor in the first round of the playoffs.
Having secured a top four place, the winner of the series will progress to the third round of the playoffs, while the loser will receive a double chance, and face the winner of Waverley v Sandringham.
Led by local talents, including WNBA draftee Nyadiew Puoch and with former Ranger Larissa Anderson at the helm as head coach, the Rangers improved from an 11-11 win-loss record in 2023 that saw them narrowly miss the finals, to being a force of the competition in Anderson’s second season.
Puoch, who achieved a childhood dream of being drafted to the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the United States in April, chose to stay in Melbourne and finish her season at the Rangers, with the draft taking place during the current campaign.
She led the team in points per game (20) and rebounds per game (eight), while forward Ashten Pretchel averaged just shy of a double-double, and was one of the best shot-blockers in the competition, despite only joining the team at the beginning of June.
The Rangers were the fourth-highest scoring team in the competition in 2024, averaging 80.6 points per contest, and was equal third for least points conceded per game, at 71.2, showing strong capabilities at both ends of the floor.
Keilor was one of the few teams to defeat Dandenong this season, in a low-scoring 64-69 loss in round six at home.
It was a loss to forget for the Rangers, who led by 17 points at half time before being outscored 24-46 in the second half.
But that contest was before Pretchel’s arrival, and the second meeting between the two saw the Thunder turn the tables in a 83-56 win at Keilor.
Pretchel scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in just 24 minutes and Puoch went one better with 19 points and 10 rebounds, both on efficient shooting numbers.
Dandenong’s Men’s team, meanwhile, will take on Knox in an elimination round after finishing sixth with 13 wins and nine losses.
Following a poor season in 2023 in which they finished second-last and won just four games, coach Samantha Woosnam has turned the program around with the help of a spread of contributors on the court.
Playmaking point guard Tad Dufelmeier leads the team in scoring (16.8 points per game) and assists (four per game) and steals (two per game), while former Dandenong junior and National Basketball League (NBL) championship winner, Mason Peatling has averaged a double-double in the Rangers’ front court.
In the only meeting with Knox this season back in April, the Rangers recovered from a slow start to win 79-74 at home.
Jacob Tryon had a night to remember in that contest, scoring 24 points on 11/14 shooting, to lead the team in scoring.
Four starters scored in double figures that night for the Rangers, including Dufelmeier, who scored 17 points, grabbed six rebounds and had six assists in a busy night for the guard.
Schedules have not been determined for either contests at time of publication.
