An “unacceptable” second quarter cost the Sunshine Coast Lightning dearly in the second game of their Suncorp Super Netball road trip, going down 74-64 to the Collingwood Magpies.
The margin did not reflect the Lightning’s performance for 45 minutes of the match at John Cain Arena and it was a missed opportunity to post a win in Kadie-Ann Dehaney’s 50th National League outing.
“The aim of this tough road trip was to come away with two wins, so the result against the Magpies definitely didn’t go to plan,” coach Kylee Byrne said.
Sunshine Coast started well enough. They led by four goals halfway through the first quarter, with Cara Koenen sinking 10-from-11 in her first stint on court.
Collingwood made a move in the second quarter, winning the term 19-8.
The Lightning refused to wilt but the second-quarter damage proved too much for the visitors to claw back.
They matched Collingwood in the third stanza and outscored them in the fourth thanks chiefly to a flurry of super-shots from Reilley Batcheldor.
Batcheldor shot four from two-point range at 80 per cent accuracy but the Magpies showed enough composure to hold off the fast-finishing Queenslanders.
“Consistency across four quarters is the absolute non-negotiable from now on as the second quarter meant we were in chase mode for the entire second half,” Byrne said.
“In this competition we can’t afford lapses for even a second and this game showed what happens when we do that. Anything less is unacceptable at this level.”
It was not all doom for the Lightning who now face league leaders the Melbourne Vixens at USC Stadium on Saturday night.
Batcheldor’s confidence will only rise after another impactful game while Koenen’s 32 goals at 97 per cent showed there is nothing wrong with her radar.
