Launceston Tornadoes left the long drive for home from Ulverstone with plenty of soul searching to do.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But optimistic coach Derrick Washington is adamant the 114-75 loss to Dandenong Rangers on Saturday will not define his side's destiny.
"They came out stronger in the first quarter. Dandenong just jumped on us and we couldn't recover," he said.
"We started to come back by the end of that second quarter. In the second half, Sarah O'Neill stepped up a lot, so did Brooke Brown coming off the bench.
"So we just have to keep competing. We know that we have to play four quarters and if you play all four, you know you can win the game.
"Tonight we only played one half, but we'll get better."
Washington denied that his players had been left totally "shell-shocked" as the game's nominal hosts looked lost on home court.
The Rangers dropped nine of their first 10 shots to race away to a 20-4 lead halfway through the opening term.
The scoreline blew out to 63-25 just prior to the final three minutes of the first half.
"I can say we weren't shell-shocked; just that Dandenong didn't miss," he said.
"They just started off hot and just got their momentum.
"Basketball is often a game of runs. We know that."
Washington was hinting about the exploits of Rangers superstar Rebecca Cole without mentioning her by name.
The 27-year-old stood out with 37 points that included nailing 14 from the field off 16 shots, but also picked up a further seven assists.
After the long break, teenager O'Neill took over to drop 17 points to finish with 22.
The Tornadoes now are staggering to an unexpected 2-6 record that includes four losses in the last five starts and no home wins either.
It's a far cry from last year when the club went all the way to the SEABL women's championship decider.
But with a different starting five this year, Washington is keeping a calm exterior.
"I am not concerned at all - we just gotta keep fighting," the coach casually said.
"Keep studying film, keep getting better as a team.
"I'm really proud of the girls because I know they've got fight in them still. We know we can compete."
The Rangers backed up the earlier win with another against North West Thunder.
The road trip saw the visitors outscore their Tasmanian rivals by a combined 72 points, as the Thunder went down 109-76. Teenager Tre Armstrong scored a game-high 23 points for the hosts.
Andrew Mathieson
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
