NBL1 Central Recap Sunday | Women's Finals Week 2

Feel-jo the Fury: It was the fury, finesse and fire of All-Star Five selection Jasmin Fejo that guided the Bearcats to their first Grand Final since 2016 | Kelly Barnes/AllStar Photos

Qualifying Semi-Final: West Adelaide Bearcats vs Sturt Sabres

Fejo fury fires Bearcats to first since 2016

The fury of Jasmin Fejo was felt fully by the Sabres as she lifted the Bearcats to their first Grand Final since 2016 at the Bearcat Cave 94-82. Pushing her case for a WNBL recall, the All-Star Five guard amassed 32 points including 12 of 12 from the free throw line to steer her side to the lead through close to a full game.

The first had a ribbon put on it by centre Jennie Rintala who dropped three triples in the opening minutes to have 11 for the stanza, help engineer an 8-0 run and gave the Bearcats the lead 25-19. That’s when Fejo got rolling with 12 for the next period and slicing their way through the Sabres for a 9-0 run. The Halls medallist Mikayla Williams however kept the Sabres in it with 17 points in the first half 51-40 at the main break. Emily Close entered the game to impact for the Sabres but another scoring spree from Fejo and import Madelynn Utti (15 points and 10 rebounds in the second half) really started to give the home-side the sniff of the big dance 74-60.

Fejo fueled the Bearcats again in the fourth keeping the Sabres at more than arm’s length with Jasmine Simmons setting up more of her teammates (8 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists for the match) including Utti who finished off the Sabres and sent the Bearcats to the Grand Final where they are a chance to win their first since 2007. Apart from the superstar Fejo’s hand, Utti was the other force of nature with 21 points and 17 rebounds. The Sabres got 22 points and 9 rebounds from Williams with Close having her best game since her injury return with 14 points.      

Elimination Semi-Final: South Adelaide Panthers vs Norwood Flames

Panthers throw playoff car into full throttle to oust Flames

The Panthers have thrown the playoff car in reverse then full throttle to swing momentum completely and oust the in-form Flames 82-79 in a heart-thumper at the Jungle. Coming into the contest the Panthers momentum had been trending south, but a huge turnaround in game style and approach was pulled off by masterstrokes from coach Richard Dickel and his panel.

It was the perfect start for a player who in the last month has had slow starts in Ash “Splash” Spencer starting with 8 first quarter points as the Panthers monstered the paint early and got the ball kicking around. The Panthers 59 percent from the field not deterring the Flames with the experienced Captain Genna Anderson dropping 11 of her own for the quarter; the Panthers holding the lead by a solitary point 27-26 at the first change. The homeside opened the gap continually through Spencer and the young guard tasked with stopping Ally Wilson in Hannah Stewart as she grabbed 8 for the quarter (and was a perfect 14 points for the half) to guide the Panthers to an 11-3 run. The Flames brought it back through Brooke Basham who was forced continually into tough shots to bring it back to 46-36 at the half; the Panthers running what made them successful in 2021 and the first half of the season.       

The third quarter was hotly contested with the Panthers finding another run through Spencer and Jade Johnson who had a huge term. The Flames brought themselves back into it yet again before Johnson hit the buzzer beater right in front of the Flames bench to have her team up 62-54 with one to play. The Panthers opened a 15-point lead through 8 points to Stewart with 5:53 to go in the fourth before the dynamic duo for the Flames started to turn up the heat both defensively and offensively. Wilson (7 for the quarter) and Basham (11 for the quarter) brought it back to a single basket before Johnson splashed a massive hit from deep. The Flames missing some crucial free throws in the final minute then went back to the well of Wilson at the charity stripe to close it again to a single bucket. Jordan Hunter was fouled and sent to the stripe where she made one of two. The Flames then had a chance to take it twice to overtime, but Basham’s shots rimmed and the Panthers would not be denied as they overcame their “pause” to show their claws in the finish 82-79.

Spencer led from the front with her most important double double of the season with 21 points and 13 rebounds with Stewart snaffling a season high 23 points at 83 percent and quelling Wilson. Johnson finally found the bottom of the net in a finals game with 18 points, Holly Forbes quietly chalked up another double double with 14 points and 11 rebounds and Jordan Hunter dished 12 assists to set the table for her team. Anderson dropped 26 points and 7 rebounds to clearly be the best across all four quarters for the away side while Basham (18 points and 6 assists) and Wilson (14 points and 7 assists) finished with quelled numbers.

The Sturt Sabres will now meet the South Adelaide Panthers for the second time in three weeks at the Cave in the Preliminary Final for a shot at a place in the Grand Final against the West Adelaide Bearcats.