BENDIGO Spirit coach Simon Pritchard says he encouraged by his side’s form during a run of three pre-season matches against Melbourne Boomers in Gippsland last week.
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The Spirit headed to the south-east without their 2017-18 season MVP Nadeen Payne, who was still feeling the effects of a concussion sustained in practice last Tuesday.
Bendigo finished the weekend 1-2, but it was the standout performances of a pair of players and the continued gelling of a vastly new-look squad that were important to Pritchard and not the scoreline.
The third-year coach was confident the club had found itself a defensive presence in new import Becca Tobin and was rapt with the offensive output of new forward Louella Tomlinson.
“In the first game (in Traralgon), we had a shot to send the game into overtime and missed to blow the score out and lost by five,” he said.
“But there were really good signs, Louella was a real surprise packet with her offensive scoring and perimeter and really stepped up.
“Becca’s really active defensively, so we’re really happy with her as a big.
“Nat Hurst led well and organised the team well and did it all weekend.”
Some tinkering to the rotations led to an impressive 81-56 win in Friday’s second game in Maffra.
American centre Tobin, Tomlinson, Abbey Wehrung, Kara Tessari and Mareena Whittle all ended the game in double figures, but it was the team’s defensive effort to hold the Boomers to just 46 points with five minutes to play that impressed Pritchard most.
The Spirit were down to nine players for Sunday’s game in Warragul, with Tobin (ill) and young guard Cassidy McLean (ankle) both sidelined in a game that went down to the wire.
The Boomers eventually prevailed by four points.
“We were really happy with the weekend and with how the girls combined and started forming friendships,” Pritchard said.
“To have them completely focused for four days has got us on-track and going in the right direction.”
Tomlinson led the way on the scoreboard with returns of 16, 10 and 25 across the three games, while Whittle top scored in game two with 20 points.
Another positive for the Spirit, who are being partnered by Basketball Victoria Country, was the chance to promote their brand in another region of the state, through a heavy schedule of clinics and other engagements.
The Spirit continue their pre-season this Friday night in Melbourne against Dandenong Rangers.
They will play the Rangers again in Shepparton on the day after the AFL grand final, before heading to Perth to play the Lynx on October 5 and 6.
The Spirit open the WNBL season against the Boomers at the State Basketball Centre on Friday, October 12.
