Recap NBL1 Central | Pink Round Saturday

Feature images via: Dan Cowley | @imagesby_dan 

Round 8 of the Mitsubishi Motors NBL1 Central saw the closest table games of the season with not many rungs separating teams on the ladder. It was the kind of night where in the Women’s backs to the wall and potential upsets loomed - with a few teams escaping with wins over lower table terrors whereas in the Men’s all but one match was between teams directly next to each other on the table. 

Here are the results from Saturday's games:

Backs to the wall Tigers tough it out against Flames  

They were the walking wounded but with nine players suiting up the Southern Tigers overcame an unusual streak defeating the Norwood Flames 58-54 in a grind of a finish at the Cage. The Tigers had not beaten the Flames since 2021 ending a six game winning streak thanks to a hot shooting night from Abby Beeche with 17 points with four triples and six rebounds. Ace Harrison despite injuries still managed to come up trumps with 15 points and six rebounds.   

Bella Stratford against one of her former sides was the Flames best with 16 points, five rebounds and two assists. The final term, while not the prettiest, was a 6-6 war of attrition - but sometimes you need to just find a way to get across the line and against many odds the Tigers did…  

SOUTHERN TIGERS 58 (Beeche 17, Harrison 15, Dodman 8)

NORWOOD FLAMES 54 (Stratford 16, Winter 9, Turner 8)

 

Sabres survive Bearcats scare in Cave thriller  

Continuing the theme of the night the Sturt Sabres also survived an almighty scare from the West Adelaide Bearcats 62-58 at the Cave of Springbank. Molly Coleman was elite all night for the away side as they held the lead down the final moments of the fourth term. 

But former Bearcat championship player Jasmine Simmons kept impacting at the right moment finishing with a double double of 12 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and a huge block - she powered the home side back into the lead with Tayla Brazel finishing off the match with 13 points, three assists, two steals and rebounds. Coleman was outstanding throughout the night with 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead all comers while a cameo from SA Country star Krystal Thompson (9 points and four rebounds) in her first game nearly saw the Bearcats steal victory - but another side in 2024 near the top of the table found enough composure to get just across the line.     

STURT SABRES 62 (Brazel 13, Simmons 12, Brown, Z Walker-Roberts 8) 

WEST ADELAIDE BEARCATS 58 (Coleman 17, Strawbridge 10, Thompson 9)

 

Lion Samuels second half prevents Warriors wrestling win  

Yet another contest was decided in the final term with the Woodville Warriors having their lead finally wrestled away by the Central Districts Lions 79-88 at the Castle of St Clair. The Warriors led a majority of the contest thanks to a thunderous night of fancy footwork from import Holly Forbes with 28 points, 13 rebounds, five steals and three assists - however it was Ida Andersson that lit the spark as the Sunbury Jet of 2023 lit up early to finish with 14 points.

 

Steadily though the Lions worked their way into the contest through staying alive on the glass through Lily Ritz (19 points, 19 rebounds and two blocks) and Jasmin Fejo who nearly claimed a triple double with 22 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds and four steals. Both her and sister Renai Fejo in the absence of Tayla Levy and Georgie Garrad started an NBL1 game together for the first time in their career. 

After six points to halftime - the Lions catalyst to get over the line against the gallant Warriors was Casey Samuels - she got loose with 18 points with six triples in the third quarter then added another 8 in the final term including this outrageous and1 opportunity. 

Casey Samuels with 32 points, 12 rebounds & THIS deep in the 4th ?

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Samuels 32 points, 12 rebounds and four assists continued the Lions winning ways however another team down the lower end of the table showed plenty in a night where the tables could’ve been turned in the Women’s league.

WOODVILLE WARRIORS 79 (Forbes 28, Allotey 15, Andersson 14)

CENTRAL DISTRICTS LIONS 88 (Samuels 32, Fejo 22, Ritz 19)

 

Rockets fire to thriller against Mavs  

The North Adelaide Rockets extended their stranglehold over the Eastern Mavericks of eight years with a thrilling 76-77 win at St Francis. The Mavs sitting fifth on the table looked like they may finally break it thanks to a strong set of contributions from Melvin Newburn with 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists and Jordan Rawls with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Steve Parfitt for the Rockets languishing at the bottom of the table kept his side in the match all night with a huge double double of 15 points and rebounds plus four blocks.   

Durrell McDonald however was the one who was clutch throughout the evening as he collected 22 points and grabbed five steals including the final one which clinched the win for the Rockets keeping their streak over the Mavs alive having not lost to them since 2016. 

EASTERN MAVERICKS 76 (Newburn 20, Rawls 19, Hunter 17)

NORTH ADELAIDE ROCKETS 77  (McDonald 22, Clay, Parfitt 15)

 

West burst from the blocks to bounce over Sabres

The scintillating start from the fourth placed West Adelaide Bearcats spoiled any opportunity of this being a close encounter smashing the Sturt Sabres 81-104 at the Cave. The Bearcats barrage was not answered as the Bearcats poured in 10-34 in the first term thanks to a dangerous combination of returning Anthony Drmic (24 points, eight rebounds, seven assists), Akoldah Gak (23 points and nine rebounds) and Fabian Krslovic with 22 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. The Bearcats led by as much as 36 in the second term.

Jordan Forbes and Jacob Rigoni tried to push back in the second half but the damage was already done despite a 50-40 second half. Forbes finished with solid numbers on paper with 29 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and four steals and Rigoni grabbed another double double of 14 points and 10 rebounds.     

But the Bearcats in shades of last year's preliminary final - were too good and left the Sabres with plenty of ponder before their next encounter later in the season. 

STURT SABRES 81 (Forbes 29, Rigoni 14, D’Arcy, Dowdell 8)

WEST ADELAIDE BEARCATS 104 (Drmic 24, AK Gak 23, Krslovic 22)

 

Forestville finally finish Panthers off at Nest 

The Kayo Freebies Game of the Week was another cracker with the first placed Forestville Eagles taking on the third place and warm championship preseason favourite the South Adelaide Panthers. The Eagles found separation in the first quarter led by Uche Diabamaka (20 points, seven rebounds and five assists) making a mess of the Panthers defence including this huge throwdown to lead 32-20.

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Cameos from Curtis Scott (13 points) and Codey Ellison (10 points) saw the Panthers hit back but the Eagles Daniel Johnson overcame the kryptonite of Sam Johns to keep the scoreboard ticking over to finish with 28 points and nine rebounds - fed all night by Adam Doyle with 12 points with four triples, nine assists and eight rebounds. Greg Mays once again accumulated over the forty minutes with 23 points at 71 percent and six rebounds as did the Panthers Alex Starling with 19 points, seven rebounds and two steals. 

Tom Kubank came late in the piece as well with 16 points and this nice rim rattler…

Tom Kubank getting ???

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But a late defensive play from Fiston Ipassou stopped Starling hitting the game winner and gave the Eagles a two game gap heading into the week off in the league…

  

FORESTVILLE EAGLES 89 (Johnson 28, Mays 23, Dibiamaka 20)

SOUTH ADELAIDE PANTHERS 88 (Starling 19, Kubank 16, Scott 13)

And finally in a potential farewell to her NBL1 Central season to head with the Opals to China,  Isobel Borlase put on a nice show reel at the showgrounds in her Eagles win over the South Adelaide Panthers - to finish with 23 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Just give the ball to Isobel Borlase and let her cook ?‍?

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