The Launceston Tornadoes have marked their return to the Elphin Sports Centre with a come from behind victory over Ringwood Hawks 88-82.
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The Hawks made the fast start to their Tasmanian trip with a first-term blitz led by Marena Whittle (25 points, four rebounds, eight assists) and Digna Strautmane (20 points, nine rebounds) which gave them a 13-point lead at the first change.
The Hawks continued to set the tone in the second term as the Victorians showed the Launceston crowd the form which had secured them five wins over the opening weeks of the NBL1 South.
The Tornadoes started to find their rhythm in attack with Keely Froling, Kelsey Griffin and Mariah Payne all adding points in the second term but the home side still trailed at the main break
Staring down the barrel of their second defeat of the season, the Tornadoes needed to dig deep and rally in front of their home fans.
The home side applied the clamps defensively with the Hawks having to work harder for shooting opportunities while Froling and Griffin's rebound dominance started to show.
The pair have been two of the highest scoring players in the NBL1 South and found better shots in the third term alongside Payne who locked in from three-point range in the second half.
The Tornadoes' trifecta all scored over 20 points while Froling and Griffin accounted for 26 of Launceston's 39 rebounds.
Those factors meant the home side stormed back into contention after out-scoring the Hawks 29-14 in the third term to get the home crowd cheering them home.
The Launceston side replicated the formula in the final term and held the lead to the siren on the back of 20-13 quarter.
The Tornadoes will continue to enjoy home court advantage when they host the Bendigo Braves on May 28.
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