East Recap | Round 9 Friday

Image credit: @DiscoveryOne_Photography (Greg Francis)

The big guns for Bankstown Bruins all fired in Friday night NBL1 East action with Shyla Heal, Jason Cadee and Jaylin Galloway helping them to a pair of road wins over the Penrith Panthers.

EAST RECAP | ROUND 8 SUNDAY

WOMEN

Penrith Panthers (76) lost to Bankstown Bruins (90)

Shyla Heal led the Bankstown Bruins to back-to-back wins as she put up 22 points in the 90-76 road win on Friday night over the Penrith Panthers.

Heal was into the Bruins line-up last Saturday to lead them to hand the Newcastle Falcons a first defeat this season as defending champions ahead of their clash with the Panthers on Friday at Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre.

Even though the Bruins opened up an early five-point lead, it was the home team Penrith leading 20-18 by the end of the first quarter.

The two teams then combined for 61 points in the second quarter with 10 free-throw attempts each while the Panthers shot 9/17 to the 11/20 from the Bruins.

Bankstown put up 33 points to the 28 from Penrith and that saw the Bruins go into the half-time break leading 51-48.

Bankstown pulled away further in the third term with 21 points to 12 on the back of holding the Panthers to shooting 4/18 shooting before the Bruins closed the deal on the 14-point victory away from home.

It's back-to-back wins for Bankstown as they improve to a 4-8 record with Shyla Heal producing 22 points, nine rebounds and two steals with 4/9 three-point shooting and going 8/8 at the charity stripe.

Jada Rice also provided 18 points, 13 rebounds and two assists, Kiahna Davis-White 12 points, 11 boards, three assists and two steals, Jane Dunlop 11 points and three rebounds, and Juliunn Redmond 10 points, five boards and five assists.

Penrith are now 4-8 on the season ahead of an away clash with the Central Coast Crusaders on Saturday despite Jordan Vasquez delivering 27 points, 14 rebounds and two assists on 8/14 shooting from the field, 2/3 from downtown and 9/12 at the free-throw line.

Mia Heide added 15 points, three rebounds and two assists, and Tatiana Beaumont nine points, three boards, three steals and two assists.

PENRITH PANTHERS 76 (Vasquez 27, Heide 15, Beaumont 9)

BANKSTOWN BRUINS 90 (Heal 22, Rice 18, Davis-White 12)

MEN

Penrith Panthers (77) lost to Bankstown Bruins (81)

On a night where Jaylin Galloway and Jason Cadee combined for 44 points, it was a dagger three from Andre Wolford that sealed the 81-77 road win for the Penrith Panthers over the Bankstown Bruins.

The Panthers were home at Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre looking for a fourth win of the season up against a Bruins team knocking on the door still of the top eight even having lost their past couple.

It would prove a fascinating contest all evening with Penrith making the better of the start with 25 points to 16 in the opening quarter on the back of going on a spectacular 15-0 scoring run.

That lead got out to 11 points in the second period too for Penrith but the Bruins did end up outscoring them 23 points to 19 in the quarter and by half-time the Panthers lead was back to 44-39.

Even with Penrith opening up a seven-point lead again in the third period that was back to four at three quarter-time setting up a big finish.

After the Panthers were leading 72-71 with three minutes to go, that's when Bankstown took over and by the time Jason Cadee completed a layup to make it a four-point play after an unsportsmanlike call, the Bruins were up five with a minute to play.

The victory was then sealed with a triple from Andre Wolford on the set up pass from Jaylin Galloway to make it a six-point lead with nine seconds to go, and the Bruins sealed the four-point victory from there.

Bankstown improves to a 6-6 record with the win to return to the winner's list with Sydney Kings NBL star and former Milwaukee Bucks NBA forward Jaylin Galloway producing 25 points, nine rebounds, four steals and two assists despite going 2/12 from three-point land.

Jason Cadee also delivered 19 points, six assists, three rebounds and two steals with Dominique Keyes adding 17 points, 11 boards and two blocked shots, and Andre Wolford six points and two rebounds along with making that game clinching shot.

Penrith are now 3-9 on the season having lost their past couple ahead of an away clash with the Central Coast Crusaders on Saturday with Zeke Evans top-scoring with 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Brodie Schwarzer added 13 points, two rebounds and two steals, Jonah Pares 15 points, 11 boards and six assists, and Ben Kearins 11 points and five assists.

PENRITH PANTHERS 77 (Evans 18, Pares 15, Schwarzer 13)

BANKSTOWN BRUINS 81 (Galloway 25, Cadee 19, Keyes 17)