Wildcat coach Grace Bibby top scored for Stawell with 10 points at Horsham Basketball Stadium.

Horsham’s guards wreaked havoc on Stawell’s ball handlers and created numerous turnovers through pressure.

Georgia Hiscock led the way for the Hornets with a number of easy baskets.

New recruit Sophie Alexander also proved a problem for Stawell.

She finished with 18 points for the match.

Stawell battled hard and scored 11 points in the second term.

Bibby said she was pleased just to get a team on the court but the result was disheartening for the squad.

"Up until a couple of weeks ago there was still talk whether we would have a team," she said.

"The group have really gelled well together and have committed to training.

“We just could not put what we have learnt at training into action during the game."

The Lady Hornets tore open the Wildcats’ defensive structures during the match.

Bibby said her side had let Horsham us the middle of the court to their advantage.

"We allowed them to drive through the centre way too much," she said.

"They got easy baskets early and got their confidence up.

“We had no answers for them inside the paint or from the outside.

"They are well balanced across the floor and they work hard.

"They were also missing a few players which is scary for the rest of the competition."

The Lady Hornets’ big win sends an ominous warning to the rest of the country league’s south-west conference.

Bibby said the Wildcats will learn from the game and continue to focus on team improvement ahead of their next game in Warrnambool.

"While we are disappointed with the result, we will get stuck into training and try to fix what went wrong so we are ready for next time we play them,” she said.

The Wildcats will travel to Warrnambool for their second game on Saturday.

Bibby said it will be another chance to improve as a team.

"We play Warrnambool this week and it will be another good test to see how we match up," she said.

The Mermaids lost to Corio Bay 56-96 in round one, before a bye in round two.