Crusaders Dominate Paint to Overpower Hornsby

Central Coast outlasted Hornsby KuRingGai 84-71 on Saturday night at The Brickpit, capitalizing on their dominance in the paint to secure the win. The Crusaders established their game plan early, outscoring Hornsby 36-18 in the paint while shooting a solid 44 percent from the field. Klairus Amir led the charge with 26 points on efficient 64 percent shooting, including four triples. The home side also got significant contributions from Garric Young, who filled the stat sheet with 15 points, 10 boards, and five blocks, securing a double-double. Central Coast's defense proved disruptive, recording eight blocks while holding Hornsby to just 29 percent shooting. Despite the loss, Hornsby KuRingGai stayed competitive through Daniel Titus' impressive 22-point performance, which included going 9-of-10 from the charity stripe and connecting on three triples. The visitors struggled to find their rhythm offensively, hitting just 21 of their 72 field goal attempts. Steven Hall added 10 points but needed 13 shots to get there as Hornsby couldn't overcome Central Coast's defensive pressure. **CENTRAL COAST CRUSADERS 84 (Klairus Amir 26, Lino Manhom 16, Garric Young 15).** **HORNSBY KURINGGAI 71 (Daniel Titus 22, Steven Hall 10, Atien Acuel 9).** #NBL1East #HoopSeason