Featured image: Rob Sheeley/@robshots
Mikayla Pivec and Will Mayfield had big triple-doubles in NBL1 East wins while Shyla Heal put up 36 points for the Sydney Comets, Maddy Norris 33 for the Sutherland Sharks and Jaidyn Goodwin came up huge late for the Newcastle Falcons.
The women's results saw the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles beat the Centre of Excellence 62-48, the Norths Bears defeat the Maitland Mustangs 82-55, the Sydney Comets down the Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders 101-85 and the Newcastle Falcons win 91-61 against the Hills Hornets.
The Albury-Wodonga Bandits also beat the Inner West Bulls 88-43, the Sutherland Sharks defeated the Canberra Nationals 84-79, the Penrith Panthers downed the Bankstown Bruins 71-57, and the Central Coast Crusaders won 76-70 against the Illawarra Hawks.
The men's action then saw the Bruins beat the Panthers 89-84, the Gunners defeat the Sharks 118-88, the Bandits down the Bulls 107-88, the Falcons defeated the Hornets 78-76, the Comets prevail 94-87 against the Spiders, the Mustangs defeat the Bears 112-93, the Sea Eagles win 89-82 over the CoE, and the Crusaders beat the Hawks 97-93.
RECAP NBL1 EAST | ROUND 11 SUNDAY
WOMEN
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (62) defeated Centre of Excellence (48)
The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles did enough to get back on the winner's list to end the season of the Centre of Excellence with the 62-48 home victory.
The Sea Eagles were back home at Northern Beaches Indoor Sports Centre having lost their past couple of games to be clinging to fourth position up against a Centre of Excellence short on personnel and playing their last game of the 2024 season.
Manly Warringah couldn’t afford to drop another game or be at risk of dropping from a playoff position while the CoE had already dropped out of the top six having lost their past two.
The Centre of Excellence were again without the likes of Bonnie Deas, Monique Williams, Monique Bobongie, Jade Crook, Opal Bird and Sienna Harvey, and the Sea Eagles were able to be leading 16-11 by the end of one.
Manly Warringah's lead got out to 13 points in the second period and they went into the main break on top 34-21.
That lead continued to grow for the Sea Eagles and got out to as much as 25 points in the second half but to the credit of the Centre of Excellence they fought the game out to end their season despite only having seven available players to cut the final margin to 14 points.
Alex Delaney finished with 16 points and six rebounds in the win for the Sea Eagles on 4/7 three-point shooting with Zoey Miller contributing 11 points, three steals, two rebounds and two assists.
Josie Bulman also had 10 points and seven rebounds, and Brooke Flowers six points and eight boards with Bree Delaney finishing with four points, eight steals, four assists and two rebounds.
The Centre of Excellence's season now finishes with a 10-10 record and they will miss the playoffs with Sienna Lehmann top-scoring with 14 points, six assists and four rebounds.
Daisy Nousis added 13 points and nine rebounds, Zoe Jackson 11 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals, and Sitaya Fagan six points, six boards and three steals.
The Sea Eagles will back up on the road on Sunday against the Bankstown Bruins while the regular season is now done for the Centre of Excellence.
MANLY WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES 62 (A Delaney 16, Miller 11, Bulman 10)
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE 48 (Lehmann 14, Nousis 13, Jackson 11)
Norths Bears (82) defeated Maitland Mustangs (55)
Maddie O'Hehir continued her hot form and the Norths Bears made it 13 consecutive wins to remain clear in second position with the 82-55 home victory against the Maitland Mustangs.
The Bears were back at North Sydney Indoor Sports Centre putting their 12-game winning streak on the line while also undefeated this season at home up against a Mustangs team coming off a win over the Centre of Excellence but all but out of the playoff hunt.
Norths started the game strongly with 23 points to eight in the opening period to quickly stamp their authority thanks to going on a 19-0 scoring run.
From there the Bears remained right in control of the contest and it was another 20 points to seven in the second term for the home team to go into half-time leading 43-15.
The lead for Norths grew to as much as 32 points in the second half with them ending up scoring the 27-point victory to make it 13 wins in-a-row to improve to a 15-1 record and being perfect from nine matches at home.
Maddie O'Hehir ended up with 21 points and three rebounds for the Bears on the back of knocking down 4/5 from three-point territory.
Emily Simons added 17 points, four rebounds and three steals, Lauryn Walker 10 points and two boards, and Ae'Rianna Harris eight points, 10 rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots.
The Mustangs fall to a 5-12 record with their playoff hopes now all but dashed with Sydney Hunter top-scoring with 18 points, eight rebounds and two steals.
Shakera Reilly also had 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists with Natsumi Kohama contributing 11 points, four boards and four assists, and Isabella Jennings four points and seven rebounds.
The Bears will be away for a double next weekend to the Sutherland Sharks on Friday and Penrith Panthers on Saturday while Maitland will host the Sharks as well next Saturday night.
NORTHS BEARS 82 (O'Hehir 21, Simons 17, Walker 10)
MAITLAND MUSTANGS 55 (Hunter 18, Reilly 13, Kohama 11)
Illawarra Hawks (70) lost to Central Coast Crusaders (76)
The Central Coast Crusaders were able to maintain their top six position on the back of getting Leilani Mitchell and Mikaela Dombkins back in the 76-70 victory over the Illawarra Hawks.
The Hawks were back home at The Snakepit and likely needing to win their remaining games to be any chance of reaching the playoffs as they hosted a Crusaders team looking to maintain their own top six position.
Despite being away from home, Central Coast started the better to be leading by as much as 10 points in the first quarter and then that lead got out to as much as 13 points in the second term.
However, Illawarra fired back with a 13-0 scoring run to keep things interesting and the scores were all level at 43-43 by the half-time interval.
The Hawks were then able to grab their first lead of the game early in the second half, but the Crusaders were able to respond and take charge for the rest of the contest.
Central Coast ended up outscoring Illawarra 17 points to nine in the third term to end up leading again by as much as nine points, and holding on in the finish for the six-point victory.
The win improves the Crusaders to a 10-7 record with consecutive wins with Mikaela Dombkins delivering 19 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and two steals.
She had plenty of help too with Kristina Moore contributing 14 points, three rebounds and two steals, Jasmine Forcadilla 13 points four assists and three boards, Sara Matthews 13 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and three assists, and the also returning Leilani Mitchell 12 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
The Hawks fall further from top six contention with a 7-9 record with Asha Phillips finishing up with 18 points, nine rebound and two assists.
Ella Dent added 15 points, six rebounds and three assists for Illawarra, Ruby MacDonald 11 points and four boards, and Emilia Garcia Leon six points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.
The Hawks will be on the road next Saturday against the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles while the Crusaders will be on the road to the Hills Hornets next Saturday.
ILLAWARRA HAWKS 70 (Phillips 18, Dent 15, MacDonald 11)
CENTRAL COAST CRUSADERS 76 (Dombkins 19, Moore 14, Forcadilla 13, Matthews 13)
Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders (85) lost to Sydney Comets (101)
The Sydney Comets kept their playoff hopes alive with Shyla Heal delivering 36 points and nine three-pointers in the 101-85 road victory against the Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders.
The Comets returned to the winner's list to keep their season alive back on Wednesday night beating the Hills Hornets by 25 points ahead of arriving at The Brickpit to take on an improving Spiders team led by teenage star Jessie-May Hall.
With Shyla Heal on fire returning from being part of the Australian Opals team, the Comets made a flying start with 34 points to 17 in the first quarter and that set up the rest of the evening for the visitors.
Sydney would end up scoring 20 points in-a-row to blow the game wide open and end up leading by as much as 28 points in the second quarter before being on top 60-39 by the main break.
From there the Comets remained in control throughout the second half on the way to the eventual 16-point victory to improve to 9-8 on the season to strengthen their finals push.
Shyla Heal was the star of the win for the Comets finishing with 36 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists on shooting 9/16 from three-point land.
Davida Dale also had 22 points, five steals, four assists and three rebounds, Janeen Camp 15 points and 18 boards, and Alexandra Olivier eight points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots.
The Spiders have now lost their past couple to slip to a 5-12 record with Ay'Anna Bey finishing with 27 points, 12 rebounds and three steals on 8/13 shooting from the field and 11/14 at the free-throw line.
Jessie-May Hall contributed 21 points, nine steals, six assists and three rebounds while Haruna Inamura added 16 points and eight boards, and Shona O'Connell-Shea seven points, four rebounds and two assists.
Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai will be at home the rest of the season including hosting the Newcastle Falcons next Saturday while the Comets are on the road to the Penrith Panthers on Friday night.
HORNSBY KU-RING-GAI SPIDERS 85 (Bey 27, Hall 21, Inamura 16)
SYDNEY COMETS 101 (Heal 36, Dale 22, Camp 15)
Newcastle Falcons (91) defeated Hills Hornets (61)
The Newcastle Falcons started on fire and went on with the job against the Hills Hornets with the eventual 91-61 home victory.
The Falcons came into the match up at Newcastle Basketball Stadium in third position in the NBL1 East and wanting to stay there ahead of hosting a Hornets team who fell further from playoff contention with the Wednesday night loss to the Sydney Comets.
It was a stunningly dominant opening to the contest from Newcastle with the home team going on a 15-0 scoring run and then to end up leading by as much as 20 points, and still 29-11 by quarter-time.
It was more of the same in the second frame with the Falcons putting up another 33 points to 17 to see that lead get out to as much as 34 points, and still 62-28 by the half-time interval.
Newcastle retained control of the match up throughout the second half with the lead out to 40 points in the third quarter and 42 in the fourth before the Hornets did finish on a run to cut the final deficit to 30.
The victory keeps the Falcons in third position with a 13-4 record with Elissa Brett delivering 22 points and four rebounds while Isla Juffermans contributed 20 points, nine rebounds and two assists on 8/13 shooting.
Reigning MVP Nicole Munger added 13 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists while Aarion Nichols added 11 points, four boards, three assists and two steals, and Hannah Chicken 10 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.
The loss is a blow for the Hornets who are now 6-10 on the season with Emma Kary finishing with 19 points with Rachel McLimore contributing 11 points, four boards and two assists, Meg Jefferson nine points and two steals, and Cassandra Pentney eight rebounds and two steals.
Newcastle will be on the road for the last time this season next Saturday against the Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders with the Hornets to host the Central Coast Crusaders next Saturday.
NEWCASTLE FALCONS 91 (Brett 22, Juffermans 20, Munger 13)
HILLS HORNETS 61 (Kary 19, McLimore 11, Jefferson 9)
Albury-Wodonga Bandits (88) defeated Inner West Bulls (43)
It was top against bottom in the NBL1 East and even without Lauren Jackson the Albury-Wodonga Bandits beat the Inner West Bulls 88-43 with Mikayla Pivec starring with a huge triple-double.
The Bandits were back home at Lauren Jackson Sports Centre looking to remain unbeaten this season while hosting the bottom placed Bulls who arrived on a 13-game losing run.
That meant the job was ahead of Inner West to make it a contest even without Lauren Jackson for the Bandits and that is how it panned out.
Albury-Wodonga were already leading 26-12 by quarter-time before they added another 26 points to 17 in the second term to go into the half-time break on top 52-29.
That lead ballooned in the favour of the Bandits to 39 points in the third quarter and then 45 in the fourth on the way to the win by that 45-point margin.
The victory improves Albury-Wodonga to a perfect 18-0 record on the season with Mikayla Pivec delivering a spectacular triple-double made up of 23 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists.
Ash Hannan returned to the Bandits line-up and produced 17 points, six rebounds and three blocks with Unique Thompson contributing 17 points, 19 boards and two steals, and Awatea Leach 12 points, 11 rebounds and three steals.
The Bulls remain in last place now at 1-17 with four consecutive defeats with Rachel Kemp finishing with 14 points and six rebounds, Margaret Robinson 12 points and 13 boards, and Tylah Mundine six points and six rebounds.
Albury-Wodonga will host the Bankstown Bruins next Saturday night with Inner West away to the Newcastle Falcons next Sunday.
ALBURY-WODONGA BANDITS 88 (Pivec 23, Hannan 17, Thompson 17)
INNER WEST BULLS 43 (Kemp 14, Robinson 12, Mundine 6)
Canberra Nationals (79) lost to Sutherland Sharks (84)
Maddy Norris helped to lift the Sutherland Sharks back from a 16-point deficit to beat the Canberra Nationals 84-79 and consolidate their spot in the NBL1 East top six.
Canberra came into the contest at Belconnen Basketball Stadium having won its past two matches to remain an outside hope of still sneaking into the playoffs should they keep winning.
The team they would likely need to knock out was the Sharks so that raised the stakes significantly for the match up and it was Canberra who started the better to be leading 24-18 by quarter-time.
The Nationals turned that into a 16-point advantage during the second period and were still on top 47-38 at the half-time break.
Sutherland would need to dig deep to avoid consecutive losses and that's exactly what they did with the Sharks scoring 12 points in-a-row in the third quarter to turn that half-time deficit into an eight-point lead.
The Sharks were able to remain in front the rest of the way and to end up winning by five points to steady themselves inside the top six with a 9-7 record.
Maddy Norris was once again the star of the victory for Sutherland as she finished with 33 points, six rebounds and two assists on shooting 13/26 from the floor and 5/11 from three-point territory.
Aliza Fabbro also contributed 21 points, five assists and four rebounds, Olivia White 18 points, 18 boards, eight assists, four blocked shots and two steals, and Emily Garland seven points, four assists and three rebounds.
The loss could be a fatal one to the playoff hopes of the Nationals who now sit on a 7-11 record with just two games remaining.
Lizzy Tonks ended up with 29 points, 10 rebounds and three assists for Canberra while knocking down 6/13 from three-point territory.
Jasmyn Boutzos also had 11 points on 3/6 three-point shooting with Caitlin Rowe contributing nine points, four assists and three rebounds, Maddison Penn 10 points and four boards, and Callie Bourne eight points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
Canberra will now host the Sydney Comets next Saturday with the Sharks to host the Norths Bears this coming Friday night.
CANBERRA NATIONALS 79 (Tonks 29, Boutzos 11, Penn 10)
SUTHERLAND SHARKS 84 (Norris 33, Fabbro 21, White 18)
Penrith Panthers (71) defeated Bankstown Bruins (57)
The Penrith Panthers made it three straight wins with Chloe Williams putting up 24 points in the 71-57 home victory against the Bankstown Bruins.
The Panthers had won their past two matches ahead of being back home at Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre hosting a Bruins team looking to make it three wins from their past four matches.
Penrith started the game on fire with 27 points to 13 in the opening quarter on the back of putting 12 straight points on the board.
The lead for the Panthers got out to as much as 19 points in the second quarter and 24 in the second half before they held on well enough to score the eventual 14-point victory.
The win gives Penrith a third straight victory for a 6-11 record with Chloe Williams producing 24 points and three rebounds on 9/17 shooting from the field.
Tahlia Tupaea provided another 19 points, six rebounds and four assists with Tatiana Beaumont adding 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks, and Mia Heide seven points, 15 boards, four assists and two steals.
Bankstown slips to 4-13 on the season with the defeat despite getting 20 points, 10 rebounds and three steals from Violet Morrow.
Jihyun Park had another 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals with Abbey Vallance adding six points, three steals and two rebounds, and Kiahna Davis-White five points, eight boards and two assists.
The Bruins back up on Sunday by playing host to the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles while the Panthers have a home double next weekend to the Sydney Comets on Friday and Norths Bears on Saturday.
PENRITH PANTHERS 71 (Williams 24, Tupaea 19, Beaumont 10)
BANKSTOWN BRUINS 57 (Morrow 20, Park 17, Vallance 6)
MEN
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (89) defeated Centre of Excellence (82)
A game of wild momentum swings eventually saw the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles beat the Centre of Excellence 89-82 to consolidate themselves in third position.
It was always going to be a fascinating match up at Northern Beaches Indoor Sports Centre with the Sea Eagles coming into the clash in third position having won four straight and the CoE fourth having won their past three.
However, it would be the last game of the regular season for the Centre of Excellence so for them to replace Manly Warringah in that third spot they not only needed to win, but then needed a lot of luck to go their way as they sit out the next two weeks.
It could well be a finals preview as well just to add to the intrigue so there was a lot on the line and would prove quite the dramatic match up with Manly Warringah racing to a 31-13 lead by the end of the opening period.
The lead for the Sea Eagles then grew to 26 points in the second term but the Centre of Excellence were able to get back into the contest with an 11-0 scoring run to cut the deficit to 16 by half-time.
The CoE were the ones that took control in the third quarter with 32 points to 18 which saw them end up leading by as much as six points in the final term, and it was up to Manly Warringah to respond.
That’s exactly what the Sea Eagles were able to do by getting back on top and going on with the job to end up securing the seven-point victory which keeps them secure in third spot at 12-3 with five straight wins.
Jonas Harper produced 26 points in the win for Manly Warringah with 4/10 three-point shooting while Matthew Eldridge added 19 points and 17 rebounds, and Lachlan Clark 18 points and four boards.
The Centre of Excellence end their regular season now with a 14-6 record and guaranteed of playing finals, but now they need to see where they end up over the next two weeks as they watch on.
Luke Fennell put up 26 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals with Kye Savage contributing 19 points and three boards, Jacob Furphy 16 points and seven rebounds, and Julius Halaifonua nine points, six boards and three assists.
The Sea Eagles will back up on the road on Sunday against the Bankstown Bruins while the regular season is now done for the Centre of Excellence.
MANLY WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES 89 (Harper 26, Eldridge 19, Clark 18)
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE 82 (Fennell 26, Savage 19, Furphy 16)
Norths Bears (93) lost to Maitland Mustangs (112)
It was a tight battle for three quarters but the Maitland Mustangs flexed their muscles with a massive last quarter on the way to the 112-93 road win over the Norths Bears.
With the Bears needing the win to remain any hope of reaching the top six and the Mustangs needing to keep winning to stay in a top two spot, and there was plenty on the line at North Sydney Indoor Sports Centre.
It was a tremendous contest through the opening three quarters with nothing more than eight points separating the two teams and that was an early advantage for the Mustangs.
But by quarter-time it was the Bears leading by two points before Maitland were on top by a point at half-time and then by four points at three quarter-time.
However, the Mustangs then blew the game apart in the final term with 37 points to just 22 from the Bears to end up romping to the 19-point victory.
The win improves the Mustangs to a 14-3 record in second spot with Will Cranston-Lown providing 21 points, six assists and five rebounds.
Five other Maitland players scored in double-figures with Billy Parsons ending up with 18 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals, Christian Little 16 points and five assists, Daniel Millburn 15 points, Jay Cole 14 points and six assists, and James Hunter 12 points and three rebounds.
The Bears fall further from playoff contention at 8-8 with Robert Moore putting up 25 points along with four rebounds and four assists on 5/8 three-point shooting.
Mandrell Worthy added 22 points and three assists with Brennan Rymer also providing 12 points and four assists, and Lewis Holey 12 points and two rebounds.
The Bears will be away for a double next weekend to the Sutherland Sharks on Friday and Penrith Panthers on Saturday while Maitland will host the Sharks as well next Saturday night.
NORTHS BEARS 93 (Moore 25, Worthy 22, Rymer 12, Holey 12)
MAITLAND MUSTANGS 112 (Cranston-Lown 21, Parsons 18, Little 16)
Illawarra Hawks (93) lost to Central Coast Crusaders (97)
The Central Coast Crusaders held out the fast finishing Illawarra Hawks to snap their 11-game losing streak with the 97-93 road victory.
Central Coast arrived at The Snakepit having lost 11 straight as they took on an Illawarra team already having lost four straight with both teams just playing for pride late in the season for 2024.
The Hawks were at home and started well with a 10-point lead in the first quarter and to still be on top 25-19 by quarter-time.
Central Coast worked on top through the second period, though, and the visitors went into the half-time break up 48-45.
The Crusaders then pushed away to a lead by as big as 14 points in the fourth quarter, but the Hawks weren’t going to lie down and the home team did pile on 34 points in the final term.
However, Central Coast hung on for the four-point victory to snap an 11-game losing streak to improve to 4-13 on the season with Ben Stevens top-scoring with 22 points and 16 rebounds on 10/17 shooting.
Tom Akamarmoi also had 21 points and six assists with Robbie Heath contributing 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, James Trustum 12 points and three boards, and Luke Cassidy 10 points, four assists and three rebounds.
The Hawks have now lost their past five matches at 2-14 with Riley Abercrombie finishing with 27 points and nine rebounds on 4/9 three-point shooting.
Lachie Dent added 23 points and 10 assists with 4/7 shooting from downtown with Matthew Frierson contributing 21 points and five steals while taking a monstrous 18 three-point attempts and making four.
The Hawks will be on the road next Saturday against the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles while the Crusaders will be on the road to the Hills Hornets next Saturday.
ILLAWARRA HAWKS 93 (Abercrombie 27, Dent 23, Frierson 21)
CENTRAL COAST CRUSADERS 97 (Stevens 22, Akamarmoi 21, Heath 14)
Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders (87) lost to Sydney Comets (94)
Two teams on winning runs did battle at The Brickpit and eventually it was the Sydney Comets working on top of the Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders for the 94-87 win with Biwali Bayles again shining.
The Spiders were at home and looking for a third consecutive victory after starting the season with 14 straight defeats while the Comets were still holding out an outside playoff chance on the back of winning their past four matches.
Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai had the better of the start opening up an eight-point lead in the first quarter but by quarter-time the scores were level at 18-18 and the same was the case at half-time at 46-46.
Sydney did begin to take charge in the third quarter and went on an 11-0 scoring run to end up leading by 12, and that would end up being enough to secure the eventual seven-point victory in the finish.
It's a fifth straight victory for the Comets as they improve to a 10-7 record on the season to be right in the thick of the race for a playoff position with Biwali Bayles continuing his mighty impressive run of form.
Bayles ended the game with 31 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two assists on 12/16 free-throw shooting while Obi Kyei added 23 points, 15 rebounds, four steals and two assists.
Chol Adup also had 13 points, three rebounds and two steals, and Matthew Wacher nine points, four rebounds and two blocked shots.
Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai couldn’t quite make it three straight wins to now slip to a 2-15 record with Steven Hall putting up 24 points, six assists, three rebounds and three steals.
Aaron Redhead also contributed 18 points and nine rebounds, Kody Finch 12 points and five boards, and Alexander Sidhu nine points, six rebounds and three steals.
Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai will be at home the rest of the season including hosting the Newcastle Falcons next Saturday while the Comets are on the road to the Penrith Panthers on Friday night.
HORNSBY KU-RING-GAI SPIDERS 87 (Hall 24, Redhead 18, Finch 12)
SYDNEY COMETS 94 (Bayles 31, Kyei 23, Adup 13)
Newcastle Falcons (78) defeated Hills Hornets (76)
Jaidyn Goodwin hit the go ahead shot for the Newcastle Falcons and then pulled off the defensive stop in the 78-76 win at home to the Hills Hornets.
After losing to the Sydney Comets back on Wednesday night to make it three straight defeats, the Hornets needed to hit back on Saturday against the out of playoff contention Falcons at Newcastle Basketball Stadium.
Accordingly, Hills started the game impressively with 22 points to 13 in the opening quarter while the Hornets would end up leading by as much as 15 points in the second term to appear to have the game well in hand.
Hills were still leading 45-37 at half-time as well but the longer the game went, the more Newcastle worked its way right back into it and eventually grabbed the lead at the start of the fourth quarter courtesy of Myles Cherry.
The Hornets weren’t going away, though, and scores were back level courtesy of Liam Moss with 45 seconds left on the clock.
Coming out of a timeout, Jaidyn Goodwin knocked down the go ahead jumper for Newcastle to put his team up two but the Hornets took a timeout and had a chance at either the tying score, or the winner.
Goodwin was hounding Ishmael Sanders up the floor and when he attempted to dish off to Chris Bryant, Goodwin got in the way, grabbed the steal and ran down the clock for the two-point Newcastle victory.
The Falcons improve to 6-11 on the season with the win with Myles Cherry putting up 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists on 8/10 shooting.
Ryan Beisty contributed 16 points, 12 rebounds, five steals, four assists and two blocks, Leo O'Boyle 14 points and three steals, Francis Wineera-Mulvihill 11 points, five assists and four boards, and Jaidyn Goodwin nine points and two assists.
The Hornets' playoff hopes took a big hit with the loss with them now 8-8 with Chris Bryant again leading the way with 28 points and 11 rebounds.
Ishmael Sanders added 17 points, six boards, four assists and four steals, Liam Moss 14 points and four assists, and Saxon Orsini 13 points and five rebounds.
Newcastle will be on the road for the last time this season next Saturday against the Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders with the Hornets to host the Central Coast Crusaders next Saturday.
NEWCASTLE FALCONS 78 (Cherry 19, Beisty 16, O'Boyle 14)
HILLS HORNETS 76 (Bryant 28, Sanders 17, Moss 14)
Albury-Wodonga Bandits (107) defeated Inner West Bulls (88)
Two of the NBL1 East season's great enigmatic teams locked horns on Saturday with the Albury-Wodonga Bandits firing to the 107-88 win at home to the Inner West Bulls.
The two teams came into the match up at Lauren Jackson Sports Centre on identical 11-6 records in fifth and sixth positions with the winner to consolidate their playoff spot while the loser would leave themselves slightly vulnerable.
It was Albury-Wodonga who shot out of the blocks with a 10-point run in the first quarter on the way to leading 31-17 by the end of the opening term.
They would never look back from there with the lead for the Bandits growing to 21 points in the second frame, 22 in the third and 23 in the fourth before they secured the eventual 19-point victory.
The win improves Albury-Wodonga to the 12-6 record on the season to be solid in a playoff spot with plenty of standout performers including Mitchell Dance who had 22 points and 11 rebounds on 11/16 shooting.
Shawn Montague also had 21 points, six rebounds, three blocked shots, two assists and two steals with Davo Hickey adding 19 points, eight boards, six assists, four steals and four blocks.
Kevion Blaylock also had 17 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks, and Jacob Cincurak 15 points, four rebounds and two assists.
The Bulls slip to sixth position with the loss to now be 11-7 with Alex Higgins-Titsha finishing with 22 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
Jacob Ohmer added 18 points on 4/10 three-point shooting with Nicko Timonera contributing 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals, and Zach Hudson 14 points, nine boards, three assists, two steals and two blocks.
Albury-Wodonga will host the Bankstown Bruins next Saturday night with Inner West away to the Newcastle Falcons next Sunday.
ALBURY-WODONGA BANDITS 107 (Dance 22, Montague 21, Hickey 19)
INNER WEST BULLS 88 (Higgins-Titsha 22, Ohmer 18, Timonera 16)
Canberra Gunners (118) defeated Sutherland Sharks (88)
It was a battle of the last two champions in the NBL1 East and the Canberra Gunners flexed their muscles for the 118-88 home victory over the Sutherland Sharks.
Despite being the reigning champions and coming off a win against the Albury-Wodonga Bandits, the Sharks came into the round four games outside of a top six spot ahead of taking on the league leading Gunners at Belconnen Basketball Stadium.
Canberra came into the round two games clear on top and weren’t about to let that advantage deteriorate and the Gunners put up 33 points to 22 already in the opening quarter against the defending champs.
Canberra remained in control of the contest the rest of the way with the lead growing to 16 points in the second quarter, 22 in the third and 32 in the fourth on the back of them scoring 18 straight points.
In the end the Gunners went on to score the 30-point win to improve to a 16-2 record in top spot with Will Mayfield producing a triple-double consisting of 26 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
The Grand Final MVP from 2022 Glenn Morison also delivered 32 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots with James Toohey adding 16 points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals, Lachlan Smith 15 points and six boards, and Austin Clarke 11 points, six rebounds and five assists.
The Sharks are now right out of playoff contention at 7-9 as the defending champions with Brian Williams fighting hard for 35 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks on 15/20 shooting.
Adrian Cabrera added 17 points, two rebounds and two assists, Lochlan Hutchison 14 points, four boards and four assists, and Jordan Hilder 13 points and seven rebounds.
Canberra will now host the Sydney Comets next Saturday with the Sharks to host the Norths Bears this coming Friday night.
CANBERRA GUNNERS 118 (Morison 32, Mayfield 26, Toohey 16)
SUTHERLAND SHARKS 88 (Williams 35, Cabrera 17, Hutchison 14)
Penrith Panthers (84) lost to Bankstown Bruins (89)
The Bankstown Bruins needed to come from behind to make it back-to-back wins and to hand the Penrith Panthers a 13th consecutive loss by prevailing 89-84 on the road.
Playoffs might still be just out of reach for the Bruins, but the only way they could be any hope was by continuing to win as they arrived at Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre on the back of beating the Hills Hornets.
They were taking on a Panthers team as the only one in the competition to not have won multiple games this season, and the Bruins were able to work their way on top early to be leading 21-14 by quarter-time.
Penrith were desperate to try and win its first game at home for the season, though, and the Panthers managed 29 points to 18 in the second quarter which saw them head into half-time leading 43-39.
The Panthers were still clinging to a one-point advantage at three quarter-time, but Bankstown were able to get on top in the fourth period with 26 points to 20 to claim the eventual five-point victory.
The win gives the Bruins consecutive victories to improve to 9-8 on the season with Andre Wolford delivering 18 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals on 3/7 three-point shooting.
Jack Lopez added 15 points and five rebounds, Naaman Hightower 13 points and 11 boards, Hayden Blankley 13 points and three assists, and Thomas Buvac nine points and five rebounds.
The Panthers have now lost 13 straight to sit in bottom place at 1-16 with Zeke Evans finishing with 16 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots.
Josh Kalwy also had 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists while Atien Acuel top-scored with 17 points and seven boards on 6/11 shooting from the field and 5/5 at the foul line.
Caleb Fetui-Fa'amoe contributed 11 points, five rebounds and two assists with Ben Kearins also having 10 points, six assists and five rebounds, and Brodie Schwarzer eight points.
The Bruins back up on Sunday by playing host to the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles while the Panthers have a home double next weekend to the Sydney Comets on Friday and Norths Bears on Saturday.
PENRITH PANTHERS 84 (Acuel 17, Kalwy 16, Evans 16)
BANKSTOWN BRUINS 89 (Wolford 18, Lopez 15, Hightower 13)
