NBL1 East Recap | Sunday Round 11

The lone Sunday match in the NBL1 East to close Round 11 saw the Centre of Excellence men continue their dominant form with Alex Toohey leading the charge in the 115-94 victory against the Sydney Comets.

NBL1 EAST RECAP | SATURDAY ROUND 11

MEN

Toohey stars as CoE keep dominant form going

Alex Toohey produced another standout performance as the Centre of Excellence kept their imposing form in the NBL1 East going with the 115-94 victory on Sunday against the Sydney Comets.

The Centre of Excellence young guns were fresh off beating the Central Coast Crusaders the previous night 100-67 to maintain their hold on top spot in the NBL1 East coming into the Sunday match up with the Comets at AIS Basketball and Netball Centre.

Sydney were coming off a seven-point loss as well the previous night on the road to the Albury-Wodonga Bandits as they arrived in Canberra attempting to hand the Basketball Australia young stars a second defeat of the season.

That job instantly became all that harder with Alex Toohey sparking the CoE to a hot start to put up 36 points in the opening quarter and to already lead by 22 at quarter-time.

That largely remained the difference in the contest from there with the Centre of Excellence lead never getting out beyond 24 points the rest of the way.

But at the same time the Comets could never get close enough to seriously threaten either with the CoE going on to record the 21-point win.

The victory improves the Centre of Excellence to a 13-1 record on the season having now won seven in-a-row while the Comets have lost six straight to be on a slide at 6-7.

The Gonzaga bound Alex Toohey was again the standout performer in the win for the CoE with 22 points, 10 assists, three rebounds and three steals while knocking down 8/13 from the floor.

Akira Jacobs added 19 points, six rebounds and three assists, Ben Henshall 16 points, five boards and four assists, and James O'Donnell 14 points, eight rebounds and three steals.

There were plenty more contributors with Jacob Furphy adding 11 points and two assists, Julius Halaifonua 11 points and two assists, and Emmett Adair 10 points and four rebounds.

New Sydney Comets signing Wani Swaka Lo Buluk battled hard with the Illawarra Hawks swingman putting up 14 points, five assists and four rebounds.

Johnny Crnogorac top-scored with 19 points to go with three rebounds and three assists while Christian Aukuso contributed 18 points and five boards, Ilisia Washington 11 points, two assists and two steals, Nick Jackson 12 points, and Matthew Wacher 10 points and three assists.

Alex Toohey starts the game off with a bang ?

Watch #NBL1East via https://t.co/NEk1I7kIKG or the NBL1 App ? & ? pic.twitter.com/XpiTPIuzMq

— NBL1 (@NBL1) May 28, 2023