AS the end of a long, frustrating and only very, very occasionally successful SEABL season draws to a close, the Albury- Wodonga Lady Bandits have just one number in mind.
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Three — three wins.
Such are the baby steps required for a team in the midst of its latest rebuild.
Coming off the back of a victory over the Launceston Tornadoes last week, the club has an excellent opportunity to treble its win tally from last year when it hosts the Brisbane Lady Spartans tonight.
Having already tasted success against the Queensland outfit in round 8, Lady Bandits coach James Ballinger admitted he was extremely confident his charges could repeat the dose at the Lauren Jackson Sports Centre.
“I think we’ve evolved a lot since we last played them,” Ballinger said.
“From where we were then to where we are now, we’re a lot better.
“I can see no reason why we wouldn’t be confident, having already had a win against them and been pretty consistent over the past three games.”
The Lady Bandits’ 80-73 win over Brisbane at Carina was built on the back of a devastating defensive performance that saw the Border outfit force a staggering 30 turnovers.
With Albury-Wodonga again using a full-court press to good effect last week, Ballinger said he would be imploring his youthful charges to maintain that intensity.
“Defensively, we were pretty good (against Brisbane),” Ballinger said.
“We scored 31 points from those turnovers, so if we can convert a little bit better then that obviously helps.
“They won’t have Kristen Barnes and that’s 17 points per game they have to replace.
“If we can force turnovers, which we’ve done a good job of over the past three games, and put pressure on them, then hopefully we can have some sustained success.”
Although Ballinger’s first season in charge has included losing streaks of 15 and eight games, the rookie mentor said he had seen enough to be optimistic about next year.
The Auckland native pointed to US import Rachel Maenpaa’s back injury as a key moment for her colleagues, her absence forcing them into roles they had previously shied away from.
“I really have seen an improvement in them,” Ballinger said.
“The injury was probably a blessing in disguise for the evolution of some of our other players.”
