Featured image: Jason Dan @visualsby.jd
Shyla Heal was phenomenal on Friday night in NBL1 East with 51 points and eight threes before Biwali Bayles also fired for the Sydney Comets while Maddie O'Hehir and Mandrell Worthy lifted the Norths Bears to wins.
The two Friday night women's matches in the NBL1 East saw the Sydney Comets beat the Penrith Panthers 97-84 while the Norths Bears defeated the Sutherland Sharks 92-51.
The men's encounters then saw the Comets beat the Panthers 102-71 and the Bears defeat the Sharks 88-80.
RECAP NBL1 EAST | ROUND 12 SUNDAY
WOMEN
Penrith Panthers (84) lost to Sydney Comets (97)
An incredible 51-point performance including eight three-pointers from Shyla Heal kept the Sydney Comets in a playoffs spot with the 97-84 win over the Penrith Panthers despite 37 points from Tahlia Tupaea.
The Comets arrived at Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre needing to keep winning to stay in the playoff position as they took on a Panthers team that might be out of the playoff race, but on their own three-game winning streak.
After the Comets first scored thanks to Shyla Heal, the Panthers scored the next 11 points but Sydney soon worked back into the contest even though Penrith went on to still lead 25-22 by the end of one.
The Comets were able to work on top in the second quarter and from there the lead continued to grow the rest of the evening and was as much as seven points in that period.
The lead got out to 13 points in the third quarter and 15 in the fourth before they secured the 13-point victory with the Comets improving to a 10-8 record as a result with a third consecutive victory.
It was a remarkable performance from Shyla Heal who finished with 51 points, 12 rebounds and six assists on the back of hitting 17/29 from the field, 8/14 from three-point range and 9/11 at the free-throw line.
Alexandra Kayrouz also had 12 points, six rebounds and two assists for Sydney, Dylan-Jada Alexander 10 points, seven boards and three assists, and Janeen Camp nine points and 13 rebounds.
Penrith's winning run comes to an end as they slip to a 6-12 record with Tahlia Tupaea putting up another 37 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals on 13/19 shooting from the floor, 3/8 from downtown and 8/11 from the foul line.
Teagan Edwards added 14 points and five rebounds with Mia Heide contributing 11 points, 10 boards, three assists and two blocked shots.
The Comets remain on the road on Saturday to the Canberra Nationals while the Panthers stay at home to the Norths Bears.
PENRITH PANTHERS 84 (Tupaea 37, Edwards 14, Heide 11)
SYDNEY COMETS 97 (Heal 51, Kayrouz 12, Alexander 10)
Sutherland Sharks (51) lost to Norths Bears (92)
The Norths Bears made it 14 straight wins to guarantee a top two finish in the NBL1 East with the 92-51 road victory over the shorthanded Sutherland Sharks.
The Sharks were back home at Sutherland Basketball Stadium with the chance to further consolidate their own playoff position but it was always going to be a test hosting the defending champions who arrived having won 13 straight games and having lost just once in all of 2024.
It was a dominant start from Norths as well with the reigning champs putting up 24 points in the first quarter and holding Sutherland to just the nine.
The Bears would complete a 12-0 scoring run in the second quarter as well on the way to building a 22-point lead, and being on top 48-26 by the half-time break.
The lead only continued to grow in the second half for the Bears as well and it grew to 38 points in the third frame and 45 in the fourth before the final winning margin was 41.
The victory is the 14th in-a-row for the defending champions as they consolidate second spot at 16-1 with Maddie O'Hehir delivering another 25 points and three assists with 5/9 shooting from beyond the three-point arc.
Carla Pitman added 13 points and six rebounds, Holly Wills 10 points, seven assists and four boards, Lauryn Walker nine points, Emily Simons nine points, five rebounds and three steals, and Ae'Rianna Harris four points, 12 boards, five assists and two steals.
The Sharks are now just clinging to sixth position at 9-8 with three matches remaining having just had seven players suit up and missing Vanessa Panousis, Lauren Nicholson and Maddy Norris.
Emily Garland still battled hard for 25 points with 4/6 three-point shooting while Aliza Fabbro contributed 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
The Sharks are again in action away on Saturday to the Maitland Mustangs while the Bears are again on the road to the Penrith Panthers.
SUTHERLAND SHARKS 51 (Garland 25, Fabbro 12, Clinen 6)
NORTHS BEARS 92 (O'Hehir 25, Pitman 13, Wills 10)
MEN
Penrith Panthers (71) lost to Sydney Comets (102)
Biwali Bayles went ever so close to another triple-double as he inspired the Sydney Comets to a sixth straight win to close in further on a playoff spot with the 102-71 win over the Penrith Panthers.
The Panthers were back home at Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre attempting to end a 13-game losing run which was going to be a mighty challenge with the Comets arriving in hot form and a five-match winning streak to be banging on the door of the top six.
Sydney made the best of the start to be leading 20-12 by quarter-time before the lead for the Comets did grow to as much as 17 points, but the Panthers were doing well to stay in touch and limited the deficit at half-time to 13 points.
The Comets took control further in the second half, though, with 28 points to 18 in the third period, and 24 to 16 in the fourth on the way to leading by as much as 31 points which would end up as the final margin.
The result makes it six consecutive victories for the Comets who improve to an 11-7 record with the playoffs now getting closer for them with two games remaining.
Biwali Bayles was outstanding once again for Sydney finishing the evening with 24 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and three steals on shooting 9/13 from the floor, 2/3 from three-point range and 4/4 at the free-throw line.
He had plenty of help too with Obi Kyei producing 19 points and four rebounds, Anthony Mundine 17 points and two steals, and Chol Adup 13 points on 4/9 shooting from the land of plenty.
The Panthers remain in last place now with a 14-match losing run with a 1-17 record with Atien Acuel top-scoring with 23 points and eight rebounds with 3/5 shooting from three-point land.
Ben Kearins also had 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks with Caleb Fetui-Fa'amoe contributing nine points and seven boards, and Ammaron McCarthy eight points and eight rebounds.
The Comets remain on the road on Saturday to the Canberra Gunners while the Panthers stay at home to the Norths Bears.
PENRITH PANTHERS 71 (Acuel 23, Kearins 16, C Fetui-Fa'amoe 9)
SYDNEY COMETS 102 (Bayles 24, Kyei 19, Mundine 17)
Sutherland Sharks (80) lost to Norths Bears (88)
Mandrell Worthy put up 34 points and the Norths Bears kept their season alive with the 88-80 victory on the road to the defending champion Sutherland Sharks.
Coming into the penultimate round of the season and the Bears were going to need to win their last four matches and hope for luck to fall their way.
The first step in that process was to beat the Sharks at Sutherland Basketball Stadium on Friday night and the Bears did start well with 23 points to 14 in the first quarter.
That lead for Norths got out to as much as 17 points in the second period and by half-time they were on top 45-31.
The lead grew to 20 points in the third frame but then the reigning champs hit back with a 15-0 run to make things interesting.
The Bears did continue to have the answers, though, and would go back out to a double-digit lead before eventually winning by eight points to improve to a 9-8 record and keep their outside playoff hopes alive.
Mandrell Worthy was the star of the evening for Norths with 34 points, seven rebounds and four assists on shooting 12/22 from the floor and 8/9 at the free-throw line.
Brennan Rymer added 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals, Robert Moore 13 points and three boards, and Lewis Holey 10 points, 13 rebounds and three steals.
The Sharks are now 7-10 in their championship defence to be out of the playoff hunt despite 27 points, six assists, six steals and four rebounds from Lochlan Hutchison.
Adrian Cabrera added 14 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals, Geoff Gerlach 11 points, six assists and three boards, and Brian Williams 10 points and five rebounds.
The Sharks are again in action away on Saturday to the Maitland Mustangs while the Bears are again on the road to the Penrith Panthers.
SUTHERLAND SHARKS 80 (Hutchison 27, Cabrera 14, Gerlach 11)
NORTHS BEARS 88 (Worthy 34, Moore 13, Rymer 13)
