Feature images supplied via NBL1.com.au / Emma Hoppo / @snapshotphotography31
Three Semi-Finals of the Mitsubishi Motors NBL1 Central Finals were headlined by simply club-defining history in a night of surprises and firsts.
Here are the results from Saturday’s Qualifying and Elimination Semi-Finals
Eagles Simons shines in second half to send Rockets crashing out
A sensational second half from Eagle Jess Simons saw the Forestville Eagles send the North Adelaide Rockets crashing out of the finals 71-50 at the Nest. Simons was unstoppable in the second half after the teams stayed level during the first half.
Neither team could break away from the other in the first term with both Freer sisters in Jordyn and Maddy having a sister duel out on the hardwood scoring 13 between them for their respective sides. Maddy Freer’s free throws levelling things up 18-18 a piece at the first break.
Looking for a way to break the game open Eagles coach Georgia Crouch turned to Hannah Gardiner with the rookie impactful with seven points in six minutes of action in the quarter with her and Gabby Vidmar taking advantage and a handy buffer of 30-23. Jordyn Freer and Brooke Basham tried to keep it ticking over for the Rockets and even though quelled - Basham made two crucial late pull up jump shots to bring it back to 41-32 at the main break.
Maddy Freer loosened up to make a couple of baskets early in the third but the Jess Simons takeover was about to commence. Simons' triple was the first of seven for the term with the Rockets unable to find any clean offensive looks - the Eagles defence moving up a level. They had a handy margin heading into the last 57-40 and looked almost home to the preliminary final.
It took close to two minutes in the fourth for the scoreboard to tick over with some Genna Anderson free throws but Simons triple made things even tougher 60-42. Rockets coach Brenton Johnston turned to the bench for answers including Shannon Webber again launching multiple three attempts.
Her and the Rockets couldn’t quite capture the magic of the previous round with Simons and Freer putting the finishing touches on the win and a date in the preliminary final.
Simon's 12 second half points in a low scoring contest saw her finish with 24 points and four rebounds and two blocks with Maddy Freer exceptionally solid with 12 points and nine rebounds along with Ella Sawyer sniffing a triple double of eight points, nine rebounds and six assists. Jordyn Freer led the Rockets with 18 points and eight rebounds with Basham registering 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
FORESTVILLE EAGLES 71 (Simons 24, M Freer 12, Sawyer 8)
NORTH ADELAIDE ROCKETS 50 (J Freer 18, Basham 12, Anderson 7)
Jazz music to Lions ears achieving inaugural first in club history
The Central Districts Lions Club has existed for 43 years but their Women have never made the Grand Final but tonight the “Lady Lions” achieved an inaugural first booking their place in the decider for the first time in their history. The Lions overcame their bogey side in the Sturt Sabres to accomplish that 59-69 in a pulsating contest at Springbank.
Taylah Levy CAME. TO. PLAY. ?
Watch the NBL1 Central Finals Game of the Week Live & Free via Kayo Freebies ? pic.twitter.com/qXM7QcFuUt
The Sabres started the better through Meg Prosser with a triple and Zoe Walker-Roberts making some headway on the scoreboard to have them out 9-4 early. The Sabres had owned the Lions in both encounters this season and have a streak that stretches back to their last finals appearance in 2012 - one player stepped up in the first term to make sure it wasn’t going to happen again in championship player of the 2022 West Adelaide Bearcats in Jasmin “Jazz” Fejo.
Jazz along with Lily Ritz struck up the Lions chorus with 10 first quarter points between them to get them going. Prosser however found her range again with another triple to even things out to 16-19 to end the first quarter.
The game continued to stay even as both teams traded baskets but the Lions opened up a small gap while also turning up the defence with Halls Medallist Casey Samuels taking a charge but the Defensive Player of the Year in Zoe Walker-Roberts did the same right back with the score teetering at 31-33.
The Sabres Prosser made her third triple of the game to cut it back to a single point with Tayla Levy finishing nicely with the jumper and Jasmin Fejo’s euro move to the basket to beat the halftime buzzer had them just in front 34-37 at the main break.
Quiet in the first half Samuels began to influence the contest but not before Prosser found her fourth triple and Ritz making another offensive rebound and tip in to make it 41-41. The Lions flicked a switch in intensity as Levy thanks to a bone-jarring screen from Samuels finished off the roll to the rim with Samuels (7 points, five assists, rebounds and three steals for the night) then following with her first triple of the night, beating the shotclock from deep out 41-48.
Coach Tim Shortt of the Sabres turned to Paige Padroth (Eight points) and she immediately impacted getting to the free throw line then finishing a ridiculous out of nowhere contested layup 45-51. The quarter of desperation was summed up by a loose ball dived onto then turned over by Fejo then Nicola Mathews and ending with a steal back for Fejo to Levy to extend it out.
Ritz was having her way in the paint with the Sabres blocking a Mathews attempt with Fejo’s steal then drawn foul sending her to the free throw line to have her Lions in front at the end of three 45-55 and on the cusp of club history.
The last quarter was an epic tug of war with Nicola Mathews answering the call for the home side with a triple but Levy levelled up to score two tough baskets with timeout to the Sabres 48-59. Zoe Walker-Roberts made the tough finish but what followed was one of the highlights of the season.
Samuels’ “touchdown” pass to Ritz for the step through finish showed the Lions ability to be bold, daring and dashing at the Sabres with Fejo chalking up another tough and1 and it looked like they may be home 53-64 with three minutes left.
The Sabres roared right back through back to back baskets including a triple to Nicola Mathews having done it so often from her favourite game winning spots in the gym. Joe Noone rolled the timeout and challenged his Lions to be bold and finish the job to which Fejo again did off the Samuels dish and time out went the Sabres way with 40 seconds left.
Nicola Mathews tried to get another three up but Fejo blocked it then helped seal the historic win at the charity stripe and send the lIons to their first ever grand final.
The Lions were led from the front at both ends of the floor by Jasmin Fejo with 23 points on a perfect nine of nine from the stripe, five rebounds and three steals while Levy capatalised on any opportunity presented with 22 points and five rebounds. Ritz was pivotal as well with a double double of 15 points and 13 rebounds including seven offensive plus five steals and shut opposition import Sydney Brown out of the game. The Sabres' Nicola Mathews led the way with 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and steals with Prosser finishing with 12 points with four triples.
STURT SABRES 59 (N Mathews 17, Prosser 12, Padroth, Z Walker-Roberts 8)
CENTRAL DISTRICTS LIONS 69 (J Fejo 23, Levy 22, Ritz 15)
The Central Districts Lions will await the winner of next week’s preliminary final between the Sturt Sabres and the Forestville Eagles - to be played next weekend at Springbank.
Victory to Sabre as Sturt secure club defining win over West
The pressure was on the Sturt Sabres facing straight elimination against last year’s champions and the team with the wood over them in West Adelaide and big games of recent seasons. What we got was a rousing response to last week’s performance against the Forestville Eagles with the Sabres shocking and ousting the defending champions 100-81 at Springbank.
The all important start was lit up by one of the stars of the night in Jacob Rigoni as the 36er grabbed some early baskets. Frank Angove medallist Akoldah Gak found space early against the Sabres however with a couple of vicious slams but a Ben Griscti triple and some heads up play work from Tobias Dowdell told you this Sabres team were switched on 13-4 early.
Anthony Drmic fed Gak (15 points and 11 rebounds) again for another slam via the alley-oop but Rigoni continued to make early headway with eight points to guide the home side to a 17-9 lead. Gak hit a triple to mark his recent form with Drmic following suit causing timeout to Paul Rigoni 21-15.
The home side responded with Dowdell taking advantage of Jordan Forbes stealing off Drmic with the Jackjumper then being blocked by Sam Daly on the next trip down but still found Joel Spear off the re-gather for another first quarter triple.
After a rollicking start from Rigoni it was “Big” Ben Griscti with 12 first quarter points to give the Sabres the lead 33-21 after the first and shooting the ball at 63 percent from the field.
The second opened with a trademark triple from Mirko Djeric with the game then moving into an NBA feel with Forbes burying consecutive deep area code triples then finishing a tough layup. Rigoni made another couple of step back shots with a game high 45-25 now showing on the scoreboard and timeout heading the way of the Bearcats and Dean Nyberg with some problems.
Forbes (14 points for the first half) then made his third triple of the term then rewarded Rigoni his assist back with another and the Sabres led by a game high 26 points - 26 minutes into the contest.
That’s when Drmic and the Bearcats began to chip back into the match with a 4-14 run to cut it to 55-39 at the half. Rigoni with 19 points at 73 percent at the main break was showing how far he’s come in 2024 leading the Sabres to 61 percent in the first half from the field.
Drmic and Forbes traded triples to open the third with Dowdell finishing some slick passing from the Sabres - the frustration of a shot clock situation getting to Drmic badging a technical foul at 69-49.
The Bearcats used the motivation to create scoring opportunities with Fabian Krslovic’s spin move and dime finding Gak for the finish then Drmic in transition with an off-hand reverse step through.
That was answered by Dowdell’s finish then Hayden Meakes (10 points) who’s presence changed the dynamics of the contest - the Bearcats taking a timeout and the moment of truth having held the lead so far coming for the Sabres. Both Gak and Krslovic made their next looks but Rigoni’s three and an unpredictable Forbes and Meakes combo on the floor was causing problems for the away side with Meakes’s consecutive triples making the upset of last year’s champions now a real thing at 84-62 with one to play.
We had seen it before though that West were still capable of piling on the points in minutes and that tense sentiment you could feel in the stadium.
Drmic once again reeled off a triple second trip down in the fourth but was answered immediately by Rigoni then Forbes with a tough floater off the window. Krslovic quiet for most of the match then reeled off back-to-back triples but momentum changed again when Drmic picked up an unsportsmanlike call off a driving Sam Daly (Five points, six rebounds and five assists) and he was out of the match with West still down 88-71.
The Sabres sensing the opportunity to right the wrongs of previous encounters banded together and led by Dowdell (12 points, eight rebounds and four assists) upped their defensive intensity to another level not seen so far this season. The frustration then got to Djeric as he made his case known and badged a double technical foul and he was out of the game along with the hopes of West championship defence. Rigoni’s free throws and Daniel Nash’s late triple decreasing the anxiety in the building and sending the Sabres through to consecutive preliminary finals.
Rigoni was masterful with 35 points at 66 percent with six rebounds with Forbes bouncing back after a disappointing performance the previous week with 21 points with four of five triples, six steals, five assists and three rebounds. Drmic was best for West with 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds but along with Krslovic who finished well late with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks were vastly contained.
STURT SABRES 100 (Rigoni 35, Forbes 21, Griscti 14)
WEST ADELAIDE BEARCATS 81 (Drmic 22, Krslovic 19, Gak 15)
The South Adelaide Panthers will await the winner of next week’s preliminary final between the Forestville Eagles and the Sturt Sabres - to be played next weekend at the State Basketball Centre at Wayville.
Watch the NBL1 Central Finals live via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App & Games of the Week Live & Free via Kayo Freebies
