West Recap | Round 16 Thursday

Image credit: Jack Foley | @jackfoleyphotography

The Kalamunda Eastern Suns women continued their strong start to NBL1 West season spearheaded by Karly Murphy while Rowan Mackenzie was brilliant once more as Lakeside Lightning kept their finals hopes alive.

LAKESIDE'S MACKENZIE STILL DARING TO DREAM

WEST RECAP | ROUND 16 TUESDAY

WOMEN

Kalamunda Eastern Suns (85) defeated Lakeside Lightning (71)

Kalamunda Eastern Suns imports Karly Murphy and Tayjanna McGhee-Pleasant combined for 57 points, 23 rebounds and seven assists as they beat the Lakeside Lightning 85-71.

The Suns were playing their last home game of the season on Thursday night at Ray Owen Sports Centre and attempting to win consecutive games for the first time this season on the back of a thumping win over the wounded second placed Warwick Senators.

Lakeside arrived needing to win all three of their remaining matches and then needing other things to fall their way to stay in the finals race in what is their only appearance of Round 16.

On the back of the 20-point win over Warwick, Kalamunda were looking to keep their best form of the season rolling in their last home game of 2025 and the Suns started well with a 15-0 run in the opening term.

That saw the Eastern Suns end up leading 26-19 by the end of the first quarter on the back of going 5/11 from three-point range before the home team maintained that advantage to still be on top 46-37 by the half-time break.

It was then further dominance from Kalamunda in the third quarter with 26 points to 12 thanks to shooting 11/18 from the field opposed to the 4/17 from the Lightning.

Lakeside did finish strongly with 22 points to 13 in the last quarter but making up the 25-point deficit was a bridge too far with the Eastern Suns going on to claim the 14-point victory.

The Suns ended up shooting 47 per cent from the field for the night to 39 and at the end of the night, that was the major difference between the two outfits.

The win gives Kalamunda consecutive wins for the first time this season as they improve to a 3-14 record to take a step further away from the wooden spoon ahead of backing up on Saturday night away to the East Perth Eagles.

Karly Murphy continued her imposing form for the Eastern Suns with the powerhouse and crafty forward delivering another 35 points, 13 rebounds and two assists on 15/27 shooting from the field.

Fellow import Tayjanna McGhee-Pleasant added 22 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals with Yume Knoll adding 10 points, six boards and six assists, Alyssa Bowen nine points and two rebounds, and Jaymee Firkins six points, eight boards, two steals and two blocked shots.

The loss ends any hopes of the Lightning being able to play finals for 2025 as they slip to a 6-12 record with just two games to go in the final two weeks both against the defending champion Rockingham Flames.

Reigning MVP Teige Morrell, fresh off signing at the UC Capitals in the WNBL, worked hard once more for Lakeside with 19 points, 17 rebounds and six assists with Oceane Kounkou contributing 17 points, three steals and two boards.

Kennedi Williams also had 12 points, three rebounds and three assists, and Sam Lubcke 12 points, six boards and two assists.

KALAMUNDA EASTERN SUNS 85 (Murphy 35, McGhee-Pleasant 22, Knoll 10)

LAKESIDE LIGHTNING 71 (Morrell 19, Kounkou 17, Williams 12, Lubcke 12)

MEN

Kalamunda Eastern Suns (83) lost to Lakeside Lightning (114)

There was plenty at stake for both teams but it was the Lakeside Lightning keeping their season alive with Rowan Mackenzie brilliant with 36 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the 114-83 road win over the Eastern Suns.

Coming into the Thursday night match up at Ray Owen Sports Centre and the home team Suns had the chance to win to guarantee a playoffs spot while the Lightning needed to keep winning to remain any chance at all of breaking into the top eight.

It was the last home game of the season for the Suns with them looking to bounce back from a loss last week to the Warwick Senators and while they were without two-time NBL champion Terrico White, they regained Lewis Thomas and it's been Marshall Nelson, Randy Bell and Travis Fee leading their charge.

Lakeside arrived fresh off wins by a combined 47 points last week against the East Perth Eagles and Perry Lakes Hawks with the returning Rowan Mackenzie leading the way averaging 28 points, 6.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds across those two big victories.

The Lightning, though, did remain two games out of eighth spot so did need to keep winning to play any part in the finals and it was a high scoring opening term from both teams.

They combined to score 62 points with the Suns leading 32-20 by quarter-time on the back of shooting 11/20 from the floor opposed to the 10/22 from the Lightning.

It was then in the second period where Lakeside blew the game wide open as they piled on 37 points with 7/13 three-point shooting and at the same time holding the Eastern Suns to just 19 points on 7/18 shooting.

That saw the Lightning well in command with the 67-51 lead by the half-time break and they went on with the job from there continuing with their hot offensive output since the return of Mackenzie to run the ship.

That lead for Lakeside got out to 21 points in the third quarter and 31 in the fourth with the Lightning holding Kalamunda to just five points in the final stanza with 2/16 shooting.

The Lightning added another 22 points with four more three-pointers as they went on to score the 31-point victory thanks to knocking down 22/46 of their three-point attempts opposed to the 6/23 from the Eastern Suns.

Not only have Lakeside now won three straight matches but have come at a combined 78 points with them having scored 108, 110 and 114 points in those with them looking a completely different outfit with Rowan Mackenzie at the point following his serious hamstring injury.

Lakeside now sit on an 8-12 record and they do only have two games remaining which are both against the top ranked Rockingham Flames, but with the Suns now 9-10, the Mandurah Magic 10-10 and the Goldfields Giants 9-10, they are still a chance to play finals.

Mackenzie was nothing short of brilliant for the Lightning with 36 points, eight rebounds and seven assists including knocking down 7/10 of his three-point attempts.

Isaiah Lewis also hit 8/13 from downtown for 26 points while Liam Patterson added 16 points, four rebounds and two assists, Corey Shervill 12 points, 13 boards and two assists, AJ Wilson 10 points and three rebounds, and Josh Davey three points, 13 boards and five assists.

Kalamunda have now lost consecutive games to slip to that 9-10 record with three road games to finish against the East Perth Eagles, Goldfields Giants and Mandurah Magic.

Marshall Nelson finished with 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Eastern Suns with Randy Bell adding 17 points despite a second straight tough shooting night going 6/15.

The highlight for the Suns was 16-year-old excitement machine Marley Sam who had 22 points, four rebounds and two steals with 9/15 field goal shooting while Travis Fee contributed 10 points, five boards and three assists.

KALAMUNDA EASTERN SUNS 83 (Nelson 27, Sam 22, Bell 17)

LAKESIDE LIGHTNING 114 (Mackenzie 36, Lewis 26, Patterson 16)