NBL1 Central Womens Finals Week 1

Photo By Kelly Barnes/All-Star Photos

Here is the recap of week one of the finals

Good Night for Jess puts to bed Eagles Season

A gigantic performance from Jess Good (Pictured) has given the North Adelaide Rockets a stunning elimination final victory as they toppled the Forestville Eagles at the Nest 64-76. Good was the lynchpin through the night with the Eagles not able to find an answer as she put gave the "blues" to the home sides rebound count. The Rockets jumped out of the blocks 6-14 before the Eagles through 8 first quarter points to Brooke Basham reeled them back in with a run to close it to 15-17 at quarter time. The Rockets encountered foul trouble in the second but that didn’t stop Good getting her double double in the first but it was Sam Simons who finished in a blaze with back-to-back triples to close the margin back to a basket 33-35 at the half.

Good inspired another run for the red and white with a triple, steal, then bucket to give the away side a 39-50 lead forcing timeout to Simon Pritchard of the Eagles. Cara Annetts came up with a big triple and with it only her third for the season she brought it back to 47-54. Sam DeFrancesco knocked down back-to-back triples to really put it in the Rockets hands early in the fourth before the Eagles hit back. A string of seven consecutive offensive rebound opportunities for Brenton Johnson’s women killed the Eagles momentum and despite some late Basham triple heroics, Jess Good put her stamp on the game and shut the gate with a string of clutch free throws sending her Rockets flying through to the semi-final next week. Good dropped a bacon double double of 29 points, 20 rebounds with 4 assists and 10-14 from the charity stripe and got big support from Taylor Ortlepp with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. The Eagles best was Basham with 21 points with 5 triples at 41.7 percent and Simons (18 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists).

Sharp South stun Sabres at Springbank

The South Adelaide Panthers promised they had learnt against the Sturt Sabres and after playing them the third time this season, they produced the upset as they won through to a date with the Southern Tigers 79-93 at the Cave. Jordan Hunter signalled South’s intention early opening the game with a triple to give her side a 17-34 first quarter lead. Hunter and Hannah Stewart holding star Sabre Jade Johnson scoreless in the opening term. The Sabres hit back in the second through their import Kylee Smith and Kayla Mathews to bring it back to 37-46 at the half; the Panthers still shooting 48 percent from the field across the half through Stewart (12 points at the half).

A very even third term saw the Panthers and Sabres locked into shutting down each other’s weapons with Olivia Thompson looking threatening, the scores 54-64 at three quarter time. It was Ash “Splash” Spencer that proved the difference in the final stanza as she rained in 15 points to finish with a double double of 27 points and 14 rebounds and the upset W to the Panthers. Thompson was awesome all night with 28 points and 15 rebounds while Jordan Hunter who got her side going finished with 15 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. The Sabres were led by Smith (21 points and 13 rebounds) and Kayla Mathews (21 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists).

The Southern Tigers will meet the South Adelaide Panthers at the Cage in the Qualifying Semi-Final for a place in the Grand Final while the North Adelaide Rockets will travel to the Cave to take on the Sturt Sabres in the Elimination Semi-Final.