NBL1 East Recap | Friday Women's Round 17

The Canberra Nationals produced a strong showing on Friday night at home to open Round 17 in the NBL1 East Women's competition with a 12-point win.

It was a rescheduled fixture between the two teams from earlier in the season hence the Friday night time slot and it was the Canberra Nationals who opened Round 17 in the NBL1 East by defeating the Maitland Mustangs 78-66.

Abby Solway scored 18 points for Canberra while Lizzy Tonks delivered a triple-double with 16 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

Leilani Mitchell only had seven players to work with as coach of the Mustangs with Mikaela Dombkins delivering 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Round 17 in the NBL1 East will continue on Saturday afternoon at 4pm with the Canberra Nationals backing up to host the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.

Then at 5pm, the Sutherland Sharks are at home to the Albury-Wodonga Bandits with the Hills Hornets and Central Coast Crusaders doing battle from 5.30pm as will the Illawarra Hawks and Norths Bears.

The Illawarra Hawks then back up on Sunday at 1pm to take on the visiting Albury-Wodonga Bandits.

NBL1 EAST – 2022 WOMEN'S SEASON
ROUND 17 – FRIDAY NIGHT

CANBERRA NATIONALS 78 defeated MAITLAND MUSTANGS 66

The Canberra Nationals came away  with a 12-point Friday night win against the Maitland Mustangs on their home court.

It was a rare Friday night NBL1 East match up with the fixture rescheduled from earlier in the season as the Nationals hosted the Mustangs at Southern Cross Basketball Stadium in Tuggeranong to open Round 17 of the 2022 season.

Canberra started strongly on their home court even with both teams out of the playoff hunt with the Nationals going on a 9-0 run to end up leading by as much as 13 points, and being on top 24-13 by quarter-time.

Maitland managed to stay in touch throughout the second quarter, though, and Canberra went into the half-time break on top 39-28.

Canberra gradually pulled away further during the second half leading by as much as 14 points in the third quarter, and then 17 in the fourth before the Mustangs managed to put together a run of nine consecutive points.

The Nationals still ended up winning 78-66 to improve to an 8-10 record on the season in seventh position while the Mustangs are now 3-15 and waiting for the season to be over.

The biggest differences between the teams proved to be Canberra pulling down 52 rebounds to Maitland's 41 while shooting 13/35 at 37.1 per cent from downtown opposed to 5/20 at 25.0 per cent.

Abby Solway top-scored for Canberra with 18 points, eight rebounds and three steals but it was again the Lizzy Tonks show as she delivered a triple-double consisting of 16 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds while hitting 3/6 from downtown.

Mia Slater added 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists, Kristen Langhorn nine points and six boards, and Yar Mayen eight points. 

Mustangs coach Leilani Mitchell only had seven players to work with for the night but Mikaela Dombkins delivered 22 points, 11 rebounds and two assists.

Mila Wawszkowicz also had 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots with Hannah Griffin contributing 16 points and five boards, and Rachel Williams six points and seven assists.