NBL1 East Recap | Sunday Round 17

Jada Crawshaw and Ilisia Washington produced impressive Sunday NBL1 East performances for the Sydney Comets over the Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders to wrap up the penultimate round of the 2023 season.

There was just one venue in action in Sunday's NBL1 East action to conclude the Round 17 of the 2023 season with the Sydney Comets women beating the Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders 125-54 which came after a much tighter men's clash where the Comets beat the Spiders 84-72.

NBL1 EAST RECAP | SATURDAY ROUND 17

NBL1 EAST RECAP | FRIDAY ROUND 17

WOMEN

Comets get back to winning with 71-point win

The Sydney Comets returned to the NBL1 East winner's list in the most emphatic fashion on Sunday to close the penultimate round to further consolidate their place inside the top eight.

The Comets had lost their previous six matches coming into Sunday's clash with the Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders at The Brickpit, and while they were already guaranteed a playoff spot, they did want to at least enter the finals in some form.

Sydney delivered quite the emphatic performance against the one-win Spiders as well starting with 41 points to 15 in the opening period.

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The Comets added another 26 points to 10 in the second quarter, 27 to 14 in the third and 31 to 15 in the fourth on the way to leading by as much as 71 points and ending up winning by that margin, 125-54.

The win improves Sydney to a 12-8 record to currently sit in sixth position with a game to finish next Sunday away to the Norths Bears.

With the loss, Hornsby are now 1-21 on the season with their first NBL1 East completed ahead of the final round.

Jada Crawshaw had a tremendous afternoon for Sydney in the win with 29 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and two steals on 13/20 shooting.

Vanessa Panousis added 21 points, five rebounds and five assists, Piper Anderson 19 points, four boards, four steals and two assists, Hannah Griffin 16 points, five rebounds and two assists, and Makayla Minshall 16 points, seven boards and seven assists.

The Spiders only had seven players available for coach Jennifer Dean to work with and Mizuki Wakamatsu did what she could to end up with 33 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals including going 13/13 at the foul line.

Tylah Mundine added seven points, nine rebounds and three assists, and Sarah Cherry five points and five boards.

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MEN

Washington sparks Comets to win over Spiders

The Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders did mount a spirited late charge in their last game of the NBL1 East season on Sunday but the Sydney Comets had built up too big of a lead to prevail 84-72.

Hornsby played host to Sydney in the final game of their first NBL1 East season at The Brickpit but it was the Comets who were quick to assert their authority.

Sydney led by 18 points already in the first quarter with that lead growing to as much as 30 in the second and it was still 26 by the final period before Hornsby finished the season with a confidence boosting surge.

The Spiders ended up outscoring the Comets 27 points to 18 in the fourth term and while Sydney still ended up winning by 12, at least the home team went down fighting.

The victory for the Comets improves them to a 10-10 record on the season with two games to go in the last round against the Centre of Excellence and Norths Bears but finals are out of reach even with two wins against the top four teams.

Hornsby's first season in the NBL1 East is now over and ends up in bottom spot with a 1-21 record. The lone win came against the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles.

Ilisia Washington produced 24 points, nine rebounds and two steals for Sydney on 10/17 shooting from the field and 4/10 from behind the three-point arc.

Johnny Crnogorac added 11 points and five boards, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk 11 points and three steals, Thomas James nine points and 12 rebounds, and Isaac Ayoubi eight points, four assists and two steals.

Peitok Machar put up 17 points and seven rebounds on 8/10 shooting for Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai with Kwabena Brefo contributing 17 points and six boards, Moses Bartley 14 points, four assists and three rebounds, and Thomas Gillis 11 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists.

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