NBL1 East Recap | Round 17 Sunday

There were three games in the NBL1 East this Sunday, check out how they went below! 

Women’s

Illawarra Hawks (67) def by Albury-Wodonga Bandits (98)

The Bandits on a long road trip have come away with the win in Wollongong against the Hawks. In another fantastic performance, Unique Thompson had 37 points, 19 rebounds and seven steals. Ai Yamada had 22 points and 10 assists as the Bandits even likely without Lauren Jackson look like the key contender out of the East. 

Illawarra’s Rebecca Abel had 15 points and seven rebounds in the loss as the Hawks need to have a good game against the second-placed Sutherland Sharks next week to get ready for the East finals. 

Men’s

Newcastle Falcons (86) def Bankstown Bruins (68)

The Falcons defend home court against the surging Bruins in the Sunday afternoon game. Ryan Beisty led the tough branded ball that Newcastle play with 17 points and 17 rebounds, and both Matur Maluach and Myles Cherry scored 20 points or more as the Falcons held strong against Bankstown. 

Lachlan Anderson did his best with 22 points as the star of the recently dangerous Bruins couldn’t get the win on the road. 

Newcastle sits fifth on the NBL1 East ladder and looks like one of the quiet contenders below the likes of the Illawarra Hawks and the Canberra Gunners. 

Illawarra Hawks (113) def Albury-Wodonga Bandits (84) 

The Illawarra Hawks continue to look like the best team in the East each week in the final stretch of the regular season.

Especially with performances from the likes of Kiwi Gardner who had 34 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists and five steals in the win. But it doesn’t stop there as Harry Morris had 40 points, eight rebounds and his own five steals in the win.

The Bandits’ Lochlan Cummings had 22 points while Hamish Warden had 23 but the Bandits were no match for the Hawks at home, who shot 62 percent from the field! 

Feature image via: Floyd Mallon