Cambage lowers boom on Thunder

TAKE THAT: Bulleen's Elizabeth Cambage goes in hard to try and prevent Logan's Renae Camino fropm shooting at Logan Metro Indoor Sports Centre on Sunday.

IN the midst of a scoring slump, playing their sixth match in 22 days and with the defending champions coming to town, all the pre-game indicators pointed to a BDS Logan Thunder loss.

Yet despite all the odds stacked heavily against them, the Thunder refused to shy away from the mammoth challenge, taking it up to the second-placed Bulleen Boomers and leaving nothing in the tank.

After slipping up against Canberra Capitals on Friday night, beaten 65-57, Logan desperately needed a win to skip back into the top-five and stay in playoffs reach.

Unlike their past two losses, Logan turned up with an attacking mindset, running the floor hard and in long stretches played arguably their best basketball of the year.

There was only one problem - the Thunder could not figure out how to stop Elizabeth Cambage.

Just as she has done for most of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) season, Cambage rose to the occasion, raining in shots seemingly at will to finish with 34 points and 14 rebounds.

And with the help of Rachel Jarry (18 points and five assists), the Boomers delivered the Thunder a tough 83-80 defeat at Logan Metro Indoor Sports Centre on Sunday.

After one of their worst offensive displays of the season against Canberra, the Thunder countered it with one of their best quarters to start the crucial match.

The hosts jumped out of the blocks to lead by 11 points midway through the opening term, courtesy of their import Corrina Montgomery, who dropped nine points in the frame.

The Thunder were playing out of their skin, but the Boomers quickly reeled in the deficit by feeding Cambage nearly every play when she was on the court.

Even when Bulleen's offence wasn't functionally perfectly, their superstar centre managed to bail them out more often than not.

Logan did everything they could to limit the 203cm Australian Opal's production on offence, but they were simply powerless in preventing her scoring output.

Yet despite Cambage's unstoppable fireworks, the Thunder still were able to keep pace with one of the WNBL's top echelon teams, thanks mostly to some prolific scoring from two of their own stars.

Cayla Francis was superb throughout the absorbing 40-minute contest draining 22 points to go with her 13 rebounds.

Francis was especially effective on the offensive glass, corralling Bulleen defenders and pulling down boards to provide her team with several second chance opportunities.

Renae Camino, though she was ice cold against Canberra two days earlier going 4-of-15 from the field, finished with 17 points and four assists.

While Sarah Graham played a huge part in Logan's rally down the stretch, notching all her 12 points from beyond the arc.

As frustrating as the Thunder's loss may have been, the lessons they absorb from the defeat will certainly have them better equipped going into the final two rounds of the season.

But the facts are Sunday's loss has seen them slip to seventh on the WNBL ladder and now face an uphill battle to make it back-to-back post season appearances.