Lightning strikes in dominant win over Jewels

Adelaide Lightning have continued their WNBL resurgence with a statement 100-68 demolition of the Tasmania Jewels.

Import power forward Maddy Westbeld (29 points, 10 rebounds) and centre Zitina Aokuso (20, 12) were too big and strong for the Jewels at the SA State Basketball Centre on Saturday.

Steph Reid (25 points) and Brooke Basham (18) battled valiantly for Tasmania, who were crushed 50-26 in the second half.

"It was definitely (a result of) the work we've put in over the last few weeks and coming together as a team," Lightning coach Aja Parham-Ammar said after her side's second-straight win, after starting the season with three losses.

"The ball was going in - we felt good about ourselves.

"It was good to perform well in front of our crowd."

Adelaide endured a rocky opening, coughing up seven turnovers in barely six minutes, import point guard Shay Ciezki finding foul trouble and Reid getting off the chain.

But the Lightning, thanks to their 11-of-11 free-throw shooting and 11-2 rebounding advantage, soon seized control and sprinted ahead 27-18 on Jess McDowell-White's lay-up on the quarter-time bell.

Adelaide scored nine unanswered points amid an overall 13-2 run either side of the first break, before the Jewels found their radar from distance, hitting 6-of-12 from three-point range in the second stanza.

Reid's drive in the dying seconds of the quarter gave her a 20-point half, single-handedly keeping Tasmania in touch, but still trailing 50-42.

Reid and Basham did the bulk of the heavy lifting for the Jewels, who closed the gap to 62-56, before the Lightning put down the defensive hammer and didn't relent.

Tasmania didn't score for the last 5:15 of the third term, which Adelaide finished on a 10-0 burst - Westbeld scored the last eight - to march ahead 72-56 at three-quarter time.

It was more of the same in the final quarter as Adelaide produced a stunning 21-2 surge either side of the last break, dominating the fourth period 28-12, as their advantage blew out to 100-64 late.

"Their bigs played quite well," Jewels coach Claudia Brassard said.

"We gave up 20 points from the foul line, which we've done in all four games so far.

"That's something that we're working on and that we're not happy about."