The Launceston-born star forward scored 21 points to inflict punishment playing for her adopted Dandenong Rangers SEABL side.

The Tornadoes went down extraordinarily 72-61 despite winning three of the four quarters on Saturday night at Dandenong.

But a bad 29-8 third-term lapse, reminiscent to giving up their 26-0 final stretch to Kilsyth 14 days earlier, proved costly in the final analysis of a third successive loss to start the season. 

Launceston coach Derrick Washington had tried to stay upbeat in defeat.

“At the end of the day, we just got to put the four quarters together,” he said.

“There is no point of blaming nobody to be honest.

“We just got to know what we’ve got to do defensively and rebound a little bit more too.”

After leading 32-28 at the long break, the game plan fell apart for the visitors.

By the end of the third quarter, the lead turned into a 17-point point deficit.

Washington felt his side struggled to capitalise when it was running hot earlier.

“We definitely played a good first half,” he said.

“We were able to stop their side at first, but there was that quarter where they hit a lot of the shots, basically.

“I mean, not just one person, either – it was more than just the one.”

All eight Tornadoes had played and trained against Roberts, but none could stop the powerhouse a year better for her WNBL breakout season with the Rangers. 

Roberts’ influence included a whopping 21 rebounds, as an under-strength Torns were still missing Lauren Mansfield and on the search to replace injured American Mikaela Ruef for the year.

“I don’t think she did too much in the first half, but in the second half she had an amazing game,” he said.

“She was all over the boards and she was mean scoring as well.”

Ally Wilson collected a game-high 24 points on her return from soreness and Lauren Nicholson added a further 22 to the scoreboard.

Launceston travels to Ballarat on Sunday in its Victorian double-header.