Ally Wilson's 45 points and 18 rebounds might have been the standout individual performance to open the NBL1 National Finals on Friday, but it was the Bendigo Braves, Warwick Senators and Norths Bears who will fight out for a spot in Sunday's Championship Game.
The opening night of the National Finals for 2023 featuring the NBL1 champions from around the country on top of the defending champions from last year got underway at HBF Arena Joondalup in Perth.
The three women's matches on Friday night saw the NBL1 East's Norths Bears beat the NBL1 North's Northside Wizards 104-81, the NBL1 West's Warwick Senators beat the NBL1 Central's Norwood Flames 100-87, and the NBL1 South's Bendigo Braves down the NBL1 West's Cockburn Cougars 101-57.
Saturday's match ups will now feature Bendigo against Northside, Norths up against Norwood, and in an all West Australian match up, Warwick against Cockburn.
DAY 1 WOMEN
Bears impress in big win over Wizards
The NBL1 East's Norths Bears have made a hot start to the National Finals at HBF Arena Joondalup in Perth beating the NBL1 North champion Northside Wizards 104-81.
The Wizards were the standout team this NBL1 North season finishing on top of the standings before knocking out the defending champion Townsville Flames and then sweeping the Rockhampton Cyclones in the Grand Final Series.
The Bears, meanwhile, came from third in the NBL1 East to beat Maitland, Sydney and Manly Warringah on the way to their championship triumph last Saturday afternoon at Sydney Uni.
The two champions of their conferences locked horns in Perth on Friday to open the National Finals and with the Wizards without both the NBL1 North regular season and Grand Final MVP Courtney Woods, it was the Bears who quickly took control.
Norths went on a 13-0 run in the opening quarter to open up a 14-point lead and remained in control the rest of the way.
The Bears were still up 30-20 by the end of the first term and then took control further in the second period with 31 points to 18 to go into the half-time interval on top 61-38.
The lead for Norths got out to as much as 25 points and even though the Wizards did string together 13 consecutive points throughout the second half, they could never seriously threaten and the Bears took charge again to win by 23.
That 23-point margin will put Norths in a strong position to play off for a spot in Sunday's championship game but the big loss puts the Wizards out of the running.
Jolene Anderson continued her hot form for the Bears that included winning the Grand Final MVP last Saturday. She finished with another 19 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals.
She had plenty of help to open the National Finals too for the Bears with Emily Simons top-scoring with 20 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals while shooting 3/4 from three-point range.
Kate Seebohm also landed 5/7 from beyond the arc with 15 points, seven assists and five rebounds with Carla Pitman contributing 19 points, six rebounds and four assists while also knocking down 5/7 from three-point land.
Sarah Schicher contributed 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals, and Maddie O'Hehir six points, six boards and two assists.
AJ Johnson finished the NBL1 North season on fire for the Wizards and continued that with 24 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.
Nadeen Payne also had 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists, Lil Dart 13 points, four boards and three assists, and Rebecca Haynes nine points, three rebounds and two assists.
Nadeen Payne with the AND-1??
— NBL1 (@NBL1) August 18, 2023
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Senators keep title defence alive with win over Flames
The Warwick Senators got their National Championship defence off to the perfect start overcoming a huge performance from Ally Wilson to beat the Norwood Flames 94-84 at HBF Arena Joondalup.
The Senators might have bowed out in the semi finals of this NBL1 West season, but they earned a place at the National Finals on the back of their double triumph last year.
The bonus was they get to play the National Finals this year not from their home at Warwick Stadium but up against them to start proceedings was a Norwood team fresh off winning the NBL1 Central championship last Saturday.
The Flames also had Ally Wilson and she put in a spectacular performance for Norwood but ultimately it wasn’t enough with the Senators proving too strong in the finish with a point to prove after their NBL1 West season ended without them defending their title.
It was an exciting opening to the contest as both teams combined for 52 points in the first quarter with Warwick leading 27-25 by quarter-time having come back from an eight-point deficit.
The Senators then broke away in the second quarter including going on a 10-0 scoring run to open up a 19-point advantage at one point, and to still be leading 58-42 by the half-time interval.
Warwick pushed back out to an 18-point lead in the third quarter and were still leading by that with five minutes to go in the game, but Norwood weren’t quite done with yet.
The Flames went on a 10-2 run which including a three-point play and a three-point bucket to Wilson to pull the margin back to 10.
Jada Rice then made it eight with 3:15 to play but Warwick responded starting with a three ball to Perth Lynx forward Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard on the way to the 13-point win to keep their championship defence alive.
While Ally Wilson was brilliant for Norwood, Warwick had more strong contributors in the win with import Karly Murphy a dominant presence with 26 points, 14 rebounds and two assists on 12/20 shooting.
Perth Lynx WNBL guard Chloe Forster added 25 points, eight rebounds and four assists with Stacey Barr contributing 18 points, 14 boards, four assists, two steals and a block, and Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard 12 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.
Nat Burton flirted with a triple-double with eight points, eight rebounds and 11 assists while 457-game veteran Nicole Jorre de St Jorre finished with eight points, three assists and two rebounds.
Ally Wilson put together a remarkable performance for the Flames with 45 points, 18 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks while shooting 14/24 from the field, 9/15 from three-point territory and 8/9 at the free-throw line.
Sharna Thompson added 13 points and three rebounds, Jada Rice 11 points, six boards, four assists, three steals and two blocks, and Jorjah Smith five points and three assists.
WHAT. A. GAME. ?
— NBL1 (@NBL1) August 18, 2023
Ally Wilson exploded against Warwick in the @Coles Express NBL1 National Finals ?
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Braves stay perfect in 2023 with mauling of Cougars
The Bendigo Braves are going to be mighty hard to stop from going through the National Finals undefeated just as they did the NBL1 South season after beating the NBL1 West champion Cockburn Cougars 101-57.
On the back of losing last year's NBL1 South Grand Final to the Ringwood Hawks, the Braves put together the perfect season in 2023 going through undefeated all the way to winning last Saturday's Grand Final.
They still were pushed to the brink but found a way to overcome the Mount Gambier Pioneers and Waverley Falcons over the last two weeks to not only secure their championship but book a trip to the National Finals in Perth.
Their first up opponents were the reigning NBL1 West champion Cougars who made history last Friday night by winning their first ever women's championship.
Making the match up even more exciting was the fact that both teams were at full strength with some salivating match ups including Jessie Edwards and Megan McKay down low, Jewel Williams and Kelly Wilson at the point, and soon-to-be Perth Lynx WNBL teammates Steph Gorman and Amy Atwell.
Both Gorman and Atwell are fresh off winning their respective Grand Final MVP awards last weekend too but right from the start it was clear it was a Bendigo team on a mission.
The Braves scored 12 straight points to open up a 14-point lead in the opening period and to still be on top 29-18 by the end of one.
Bendigo might have only scored 19 points in the second quarter, but completely locked Cockburn down holding them to just the nine points to end up leading 48-27 by half-time.
There was no let up from the Braves as they added another 29 points to 12 from the Cougars in the third stanza to lead by as much as 39 points and to be up 77-39 by three quarter-time.
Bendigo added another 24 points to 18 in the fourth quarter to go on to score the 44-point win to put themselves in prime position to make the championship game with another good showing on Saturday.
There was plenty to like in the performance from Bendigo but it was the majestical Kelly Wilson who again made everything click as she only narrowly missed another triple-double. She finished with nine points, nine rebounds and 16 assists.
Megan McKay had a frustrating Grand Final last week through foul trouble before a big final quarter. She again found herself in foul trouble on Friday night but was superb in her 20 minutes with 25 points, nine rebounds and two assists on 11/12 shooting.
Amy Atwell put up 17 points and six rebounds for the winners, Cassidy McLean 16 points, six boards, six assists, two steals and two blocks, and Kasey Burton 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Madeline Sexton also chipped in with 15 points and five rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench.
It was a tough evening for the NBL1 West champion Cougars with Grand Final MVP Steph Gorman again top-scoring with 14 points and four rebounds.
Sarah Mortensen added 13 points and six boards, Jewel Williams 11 points and five boards, Jessie Edwards six points, four rebounds and a block, and Patty Brossmann five points, five boards and three assists.
Kelly Wilson is the point god ?
— NBL1 (@NBL1) August 18, 2023
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