Basketball On The Internet.

ALL dressed in lilac, Melbourne last night lowered the boom on a stunned and ultimately numb Lightning in Adelaide, opening the WNBL season with a come-from-behind 68-60 victory, back-up centre Penina Davidson and import Naz Hillmon stand-outs.

Davidson, off the Boomers' bench, was a major influence with a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double as the visitors turned around a 14-point deficit after surrendering a 24-point first quarter.

The Lightning sizzled in a 7-0 start, import Brianna Turner opening the scoring, Lauren Mansfield with a three and a layup creating the opening assault.

Hillmon broke the Boomers' drought with a free throw but Mansfield took her tally to seven before Izzy Borlase bumped the buffer to 11-1.

Jessica Willoughby entered the fray and made her intentions obvious, scoring almost immediately for a 14-3 lead, Melbourne yet to manage a basket.

Sara Blicavs stroked two more free throws but it was inside the first period's last four minutes when Davidson scored the Boomers' first bucket from the floor for 6-14.

Consecutive three-point plays saw Lightning leap out to 20-6, Davidson aborting free throws and Adelaide's 24-13 lead after the first quarter not truly reflective of its dominance.

Melbourne's defensive lift was evident in the second quarter, holding Lightning to 11 points. But its offence still was out of sync, mustering only 13. Blicavs in early foul trouble meant Adelaide still appeared to hold the upper hand, a 25-13 third term by the Boomers dramatically changing that.

Now it was Lightning looking for answers and coming up empty, an Izzy Bourne lob to Turner which plopped in instead for three, its only real moment of joy in the second half.

The further the game went, the more Adelaide's offence dried up into rushed and ill-conceived shots, only Willoughby on target but restricted to a mere seven shot attempts.

Hillmon (14 points, 8 rebounds) found her game, Tera Reed (10 points, 10 rebounds) became a terror and Keely Froling and Blicavs hit the shots Melbourne needed to have Adelaide looking young and inexperienced.

Turner, who opened the game's scoring, finished with just three points, but led Lightning with 15 rebounds and eight assists. Mansfield finished with nine points, seven in that fateful first quarter.

Considering Melbourne import Jordin Canada (8 assists) was 3-of-13, Froling 2-of-13 and Blicavs 3-of-12 from the floor, it was Melbourne's defence, rebounding (50-39 and 21 offensive) proving the difference and also offsetting an untidy 17-of-30 from the free throw line.

Holding Lightning to 11, 13 and 12 points over the last three quarters left no doubt where the Boomers focused most.

MELBOURNE BOOMERS 68 (Hillmon 14, Davidson, Blicavs 12, Reed 10; Davidson, Reed, Froling 10 rebs; Canada 8 assts) d ADELAIDE LIGHTNING 60 (Willoughby 14, Borlase, Mansfield 9; Turner 15 rebs; Turner 8 assts) at Adelaide 36ers Arena. Crowd: 614