Feature images supplied via NBL1.com.au / Mark Willoughby
The Mitsubishi Motors NBL1 Central Women’s Grand Final saw a historic first in the club a perennial cellar dweller claim a first in 43 years - the coveted championship
Here is the result from tonight’s Grand Final
CENTRAL DISTRICTS LIONS 79 defeated FORESTVILLE EAGLES 67
Lions pride of North in historic Championship
It’s never happened in their club history but tonight that all changed as the Central Districts Lions claimed the Mitsubishi Motors NBL1 Central Women’s Championship defeating the Forestville Eagles 79-67 at the Adelaide 36ers Arena. The Lions had been knocked out of the finals in their past history in 2011 and 2012 and fittingly took on their opposition in a game that swung both ways in both halves.
Tayla Levy opened things up with a corner two but immediately was answered by Jess Simons with a triple to open the Eagles account. Levy got inside for one with Rachel King (Five points and six rebounds) repeating the dose at the other end. It was Simons however with the opening term of her career as she nailed 15 points with a raft of triples including back to back triples at the end of the term as the Eagles snuck in front 15-21 at the first change.
Simons opened the second term with a long triple from the Kayo Freebies logo followed by Aimee Brett (10 points and seven rebounds) making a point in the paint to get the Eagles out to 19-28 and 0-10 run - that had Lions coach Joe Noone calling timeout to stifle the momentum. The Lions fought back through Lily Ritz who contained early started to be causing problems for the Eagles.
Levy did the same pushing the Lions back into it topped off by Samuels (nine points for the term) tough inside finish to create an 8-0 run of their own. Gabi Vidmar, having once impacted at the arena before in the 2019 Grand Final, drained triples as did Simons to give the Eagles a handy 36-41 halftime lead.
Simons with already 21 points in the first half at 61.5 percent on 5 of 9 beyond the arc.
Ella Sawyer hit a triple to open the third term but a cut to the basket from Jasmin Fejo after a quiet first half ensued but it only started the Vidmar show. Vidmar grabbed a corner two then drained another triple to put the Eagles out by as many as 14 points in the term but a late run from the Lions after a timeout led by Levy and Ritz saw the lead slashed back on a 0-9 run off Levy’s triples.
Vidmar thought she’d had the Eagles further up with another triple but Levy beat the buzzer on three quarter time on the drive to bring it to 49-55 and set up a grandstand finish.
Taylah Levy with the big-time play on the buzzer ?
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Stepping up was Jasmin Fejo as she hit a corner triple to open the fourth, kept alive an offensive rebound for Ritz to finish then finished her own offensive rebound to have a quick five points. Levy’s triple dagger had the Lions in front for the first time since the opening term at 59-58 and the Eagles with all sorts of issues at both ends of the floor. Samuels triple compounded issues further with a timeout to their coach Georgia Crouch.
Maddy Freer (Six points, seven rebounds and three assists) scoreless through three quarters dropped and1 but from there it all unravelled for the Eagles missing multiple opportunities to score as the Lions could feel the game was there for the taking. Ritz went one on one on the break to finish and Samuels corner three had Lions believing the improbable was now impossible at 70-61 with 1:53 left.
Taylah Levy with the big-time play on the buzzer ?
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Ritz made another and1 to continue her impressive night and Levy sealed it from the charity stripe to start the celebrations as the Championship heads far North for the first time in NBL1 Central Women’s history.
Levy was voted MVP for the night with an outstanding near triple double delight of 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists with Lily Ritz especially at stages a handful with 20 points and 17 rebounds with seven offensive, two steals and blocks. Samuels, although largely off range early, still finished strong when it counted with 23 points with three steals and Jasmin Fejo came home strong in the final term to finish with 11 points, three assists and steals.
The Eagles were led by Gabi Vidmar in the second half with 15 points at 60 percent with three triples, 10 rebounds and three steals while Jess Simons had a sensational first half of 21 points with five triples, three blocks and rebounds but couldn’t add to her tally after halftime. Sawyer also was solid with a near triple double of eight points, rebounds and seven assists.
Coach Joe Noone shared that his team didn’t come out the way it wanted to but was able to adjust in the second half - while also citing the magnitude of the win for the club. “History is a funny thing but tonight was about winning one game. We did it the hard way and didn’t come out the way we wanted to but the thing about this team is that they don’t give up. Everyone played their part in the second half defensively to help us claim this championship.”
The Lions will now continue their historic season taking on the best in the nation at the National Finals starting next Friday night 16 August on the Sunshine Coast - not just as this season’s pride of South Australia but also the pride of far north Adelaide…
CENTRAL DISTRICTS LIONS 79 (Levy 25, Samuels 23, Ritz 20)
FORESTVILLE EAGLES 67 (Simons 21, Vidmar 15, A Brett 10)
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