Recap NBL1 Central | Round 1 Saturday

 

The Sabres stunned the Eagles but can they open their season at home with a 2-0 start against their preliminary final nemesis the Central District Lions? Find out next Saturday at 6:00pm local time via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App.         

 

FORESTVILLE EAGLES 59 (S Simons 13, J Simons, Sawyer 11)

STURT SABRES 60 (Stamatelopoulos 14, Portus 11, Padroth 9)

 

Rockets fire off Flames in final term    

The North Adelaide Rockets took three quarters but eventually shook off the determined Norwood Flames to claim a checked off win 74-43 at the Lights Sports and Community Centre   

The Flames hung tough for three terms getting within 14 points of the home side who controlled proceedings throughout the night.

The final term led by Jordyn Freer (13 points, nine rebounds and four assists) and star guard Brooke Basham (22 points, 11 rebounds with four assists) sealed the victory for the Rockets as they ousted the Flames 23-6 in the term.

New Rocket Mollie McKendrick also shone in her new colours with an impressive stat line of 13 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

Flames new import guard Amanda Paschal led from the front for the young Flames with 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. 

    

The Rockets are off and firing but can they spoil the homecoming of Erin Phillips and the Woodville Warriors? Find out next Saturday at 6:30pm local time via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App.

 

NORTH ADELAIDE ROCKETS 74 (Basham 22, J Freer, McKendrick 13)

NORWOOD FLAMES 43 (Paschal 14, Kerridge 8, Hinton 7)

 

Willful Warriors take West to the edge in thriller      

One of the championship favourites in the Women's NBL1 Central 2025 are the West Adelaide Bearcats and were looking to extend their winning streak to ten in a row over their western rival the Woodville Warriors.

However the script was flipped in the Kayo Freebies Game of the Week after quarter time as the Warriors took it to their rivals in a riveting contest with the Bearcats just outlasting the surging Warriors 73-70 at the Bearcat Cave in Port Adelaide. 

The Bearcats burst from the blocks in the opening term with the return of Olivia Levicki to the league with a 23-13 lead.

The Vicki Daldy Warriors responded inspired by the impact of Naomi Allotey (7 of her 13 points in the term) and multiple league champion Jasmin Fejo as they won the second term and found themselves down by 11 at the break - Levicki already with 21 points and 10 rebounds in the first half.      

In her first game back in basketball since 2016 - a Lightning, Opal and WNBA champion of the past reminded us about her ability and after struggling through the first half to find her power within Erin Phillips (Four points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals) lit up to start a run of 2-7 for the Warriors.

A solid first game for the legend ?

- 4? points
- 8? rebounds
- 6? assists
- 3? steals https://t.co/6XiNqbfORL

— NBL1 (@NBL1) March 29, 2025

The final term was a thriller as Fejo (28 points with 18 in the second half and four assists)  turned on her “championship mode” but the Bearcats continued to have answers through their U20 core of Sienna Grieger (11 points, four assists and rebounds), Krystal Thompson (Seven points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and blocks) and Coco Hodges.

Another multi-club player in Genna Anderson-Abbey who helped blanket Levicki (25 points, 16 rebounds with four assists) out of the game in the second half and returning import Ida Andersson made a couple of key baskets to cut it to 69-64 - Fejo’s three had them in striking distance.

With 39 seconds remaining Grieger launched a tough triple but couldn’t make it but Hodges (10 points, seven rebounds, three assists and steals) rebounded the ball herself, handed it off and got it back for a big time triple to make it 72-67.

The Warriors had several chances in the final seconds to make game tying baskets but unfortunately couldn’t find the mark despite Fejo’s last second make giving the Bearcats the win by the bearest of margins.       

  

 

The West Adelaide Bearcats got by in the bearest of margins but can they shake off the South Adelaide Panthers? Find out next Saturday at 6:30pm local time via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App.     

 

WEST ADELAIDE BEARCATS 73 (Levicki 25, Grieger 11, Hodges 10) 

WOODVILLE WARRIORS 70 (Fejo 28, Anderson-Abbey 14, Allotey 13)

 

Eagles ensure strong start over Sabres        

The highly fancied Forestville Eagles ensured a strong start to NBL1 Central 2025 with a close out victory in the final term over rivals the Sturt Sabres 101-83 at the Nest at the State Basketball Centre. 

Both teams hung with each other neck and neck with the Eagles showing off their star recruits in Alex Starling (13 points and rebounds, five assists with four steals) and Dejan Vasiljevic while Greg Mays (18 points and five rebounds) and Daniel Johnson (14 points, 12 rebounds with three assists) kept producing in a sign of things to transpire. 

New Sabres coach Jason Williams got plenty from import shooting guard Sharif Black (31 points, five rebounds and three assists) keeping the scoreboard ticking over and inserted Seb Griffin into the starting lineup for the injured Jacob Rigoni and it paid dividends.

Griffin produced 13 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals to keep the Sabres in it at three quarter time 70-62. 

But it was the Sixer himself Vasiljevic draining eight last quarter points to finish with 31 points with five assists and four rebounds that helped guide the Eagles to a comfortable first up victory in 2025.    

   

 

The Eagles have opened their account for the season - can they fly their way up to St Francis and down the Eastern Mavericks to make it 2-0. Find out next Saturday at 8:15pm local time via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App. 

 

FORESTVILLE EAGLES 101 (Vasiljevic 31, Mays 18, Johnson 14)

STURT SABRES 83 (Black 31, Daly, Griffin 13)

 

Bijan blast off in 2025 to give Rockets rocking start        

Another familiar face returned to the league tonight with former star guard Bijan Johnson blasting the North Adelaide Rockets to a first up win with a 76-65 over the Norwood Flames at the Lights Sports and Community Centre.

The pocket rocket was the difference as he grabbed 29 points including eight of ten at the charity stripe but he wasn’t the only new addition for the fresh faced Rockets to fire. 

Former Tiger Machar Machar marched his way to 19 points and seven rebounds while former Sabre Joel Dyer took his opportunity and ran with it for 13 points and four rebounds in his first ever start in the league.

A tight first half saw the Flames stay in this one led by returning import guard Trey McBride (17 points, four assists and rebounds with three steals) and a pair of 11 point performances from Riley Harrap and Cooper Osborne (eight rebounds, four assists and three steals). 

The final term of 32-23 led by Johnson’s 14 points proved to be the difference as the Rockets showed their new defensive nous which will have many lifting their heads to the sky for these incoming red and white uniforms.      

   

 

The Rockets showed a new sense of scout but will they be able to sneak their way into the Castle of St Clair against the Woodville Warriors and steal victory?. Find out next Saturday at 8:30pm local time via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App. 

 

NORTH ADELAIDE ROCKETS 76 (B Johnson 29, Machar 19, J Dyer 13)

NORWOOD FLAMES 65 (McBride 17, Harrap, Osborne 11)

 

Western Sixers slam Warriors in Wild West Wipe-out       

It looked like another close encounter pregame for the Kayo Freebies Game of the Week but the West Adelaide Bearcats wiped out the Woodville Warriors after halftime 97-58 thanks to a Sixers slam at the Bearcat Cave in Port Adelaide. 

The Bearcats rode their star recruit from the Adelaide 36ers and warm Woolacott preseason favourite in Keanu Rasmussen and it was easy to see why as he had 18 points in the first half including this highlight above the rim.  

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Impressing early was NBL1 South Dandenong Ranger recruit 6 '11 centre Jacob Tryon as he laid a couple of block shots early and showed his range from his time in Norway recently.

While it took some time to get going Lat Mayen lit up in the third term with back to back triples then got rolling to continue to pile on the pain for the Warriors.

He topped off by hitting a three quarter buzzer beater causing all sorts of mayhem for the opposition.

Having dealt with Tryon all night for the first time in the match, the lane opened up for Warriors recruit Steve Parfitt to finish a delicious jam… 

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The domination continued for the homeside with Rasmussen finishing with 26 points (five of eight beyond the arc), six rebounds and five assists while Sixers teammate Mayen jumped to 28 points (four of nine triples), five rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

The Bearcats were able to enjoy plenty of their bench support with skipper Hamish Staude hitting a triple, Jimma Dau finding touch with 10 points and nine rebounds and the debut of son of legendary Bearcat and former 36er Blake Truslove - Carter Truslove getting his first basket but just missing the highlight play opportunity late.

Nick Wurm tried hard all night for the Warriors with 13 points and new import Bryce Sloan had opportunities but could only manage eight points and six assists in the absence of french import Tim Troussell missing with a calf injury.                 

  

 

The West Adelaide Bearcats wiped out the Warriors but can they pounce on the South Adelaide Panthers? Find out next Saturday at 8:15pm local time via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App.     

 

WEST ADELAIDE BEARCATS 97 (Mayen 28, Rasmussen 26, Tryon 14) 

WOODVILLE WARRIORS 58 (Wurm 13, Sloan, Parfitt 8)

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