THE Launceston Tornadoes head to Victoria for another crucial double header SEABL road trip this weekend against two cross-conference rivals.
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They take on the Ballarat Rush on Saturday night for the Madeleine Howard memorial shield and then back up against Dandenong on Sunday.
But the Torns could be boosted for their third double-header road trip of the season with captain Lauren Mansfield travelling with the team and a possibility to play.
The Tornadoes hold the Madeleine Howard Shield after a convincing win last year in Ballarat and coach Reece Potter believes it will be a good test for the team after a strong win last Saturday night at home against Frankston.
Howard was a rising star of the Tornadoes when her life was tragically taken in a car accident in 2004 at the age of 17.
“The Rush, who sit fourth on the East Conference ladder with three wins, are a much improved team on last year and their starting five is loaded with WNBL talent, including Kerryn Harrington, Aby Wehrung, Ashleigh Spencer and Molly Matthews,” Potter said.
The Tornadoes play perennial SEABL women’s powerhouse Dandenong Rangers on Sunday, who sit second in the East Conference with four wins from five games.
It will be the Torn’s seventh road game of the season so far from nine games.
Potter said there will be some key match-ups that may dictate the outcome.
“Lauren Scherf and Chloe Bibby will attempt to negate our twin towers in Tayla Roberts and Mikaela Ruef on the boards, and Clare Papavs will battle it out with our superstar Ally Wilson on the wings” he said.
Wilson is coming off an MVP performance last Saturday with 10 rebounds and 25 points, including four three-pointers.
Roberts and Ruef were again a force at both ends of the court with Roberts scoring 25 points and pulling down 7 rebounds, while Ruef had 13 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
Potter was hopeful Mansfield will be able to play this weekend.
“She’s heading out on the road with the team and just having our captain back on the road with us will make a huge difference.
“ We will monitor how she pulls up from full training this week and go from there.”
The Tornadoes have another tough road double header to Canberra and Brisbane next weekend, before they return home on Saturday, May 28.
They then play nine of their final eleven games at home in what they hope will be a run to the finals.