Basketball success as Opals open Aussie campaign

The Australian Opals have taken a commanding victory in their Commonwealth Games debut, defeating India by 100 points, 146-46, in front of a packed crowd in Traralgon on Thursday night.

Lauren Jackson was the star of the game, finishing with 41 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes on court.

After the traditional exchange of gifts, the teams revealed their starting line-ups: Jan Stirling choosing Lauren Jackson, Jenny Whittle, Laura Summerton, Tully Bevilaqua and Belinda Snell.

Keeping her legions of fans happy, local hero, Snell, got the Aussies off to a great start with a very calm three-point attempt from slightly off centre, hitting nothing but net on the way down. This was followed by a Summerton lay-up, and then a Bevilaqua lay-up, giving the Opals a 7-0 lead inside the first minute.

Jackson got her name on the scoresheet shortly after, dropping in a nice lay-up from a Snell assist. Jackson dominated the opening stages of the match, sitting down with five minutes to go in the term having scored 13 points. Snell added two more threes to her first quarter tally, giving the Aussies a 41-6 quarter-time lead.

Snell continued where she left off when play resumed in the second quarter, converting three more three-pointers and being the second top scorer at the long break (18) behind Jackson on 23 points in less than 10 minutes on the court.

India’s Arnika gave the crowd and her team something to cheer about with 4:30 remaining the second term, hitting a half-way shot and bringing a huge roar from an appreciative crowd. Her sixth point lifted the Indian score to 15 and the team rallied to score another five in the quarter to trail 20-72 at half-time.

Australia’s Katrina Hibbert lifted in the third quarter, adding six points to her tally. As did Laura Summerton, both players having eight points each at the last break in play.

The third quarter saw the Aussies hit the 100-point mark and they pushed ahead in the final term; Erin Phillips seeing to it that the team took the 100-point win, 146-46.

“That (winning by 100 points) was a goal for us,” Jackson said. “I’m just so proud.”

The Australians didn’t feeling pressured on offence, finishing the match with a 62 shooting percentage compared to India’s 28 percent. Jackson finished with 41 points and a very strong 77% from the field, missing only three shots from inside the arc.

“For us to get a win like that was huge,” she said after the game.

“We haven’t had any games together and we’re not going to leave anything out there. I need to be up and down the court and need to get fitter and the girls just want to be out there scoring and shooting and winning medals.”

The Indians were also spectacularly out rebounded in the match, 56 to 18.

Snell was happy she could put on a top show for her hometown fans.

“I was happy that we won and that I was able to score for them tonight,” she said after the match.

She finished with 21 points, all of them coming from beyond the three-point line.

It was a great start to the tournament for the Australians, who play Mozambique in Bendigo on Saturday night. Mozambique lost their first match of the tournament to England in Bendigo, 84-46.

The Australian men, the Boomers, open their campaign on Friday night against Scotland in Bendigo (8:15pm).

•  Have a view on this story? Send us your feedback!