Central Finals | Panthers overpower Eagles to reach GF

Featured image: Dan Cowley | @imagesby_dan

The South Adelaide Panthers are the first team in the NBL1 Central Grand Final for 2026 after outscoring the Forestville Eagles 44 points to 31 in the second half with Lloyd McVeigh finishing with 30 in the eventual 83-77 victory.

The two teams played out a classic almost two months ago to set the stage for their second semi-final match up on Saturday night at the State Basketball Centre with a spot in the Grand Final the prize on offer for the winners.

Forestville won their six games since that last loss to South Adelaide to secure the regular season championship to earn the week off to start the finals while the Panthers finished third and beat the Sturt Sabres last Saturday night to set up the clash with the Eagles.

The rematch of the 2024 Grand Final saw Forestville have the better of the start to be leading 24-19 by the end of the first quarter and then with another 22 points to 20 in the second frame, they went into half-time leading 46-39.

>> RIO READY FOR ROCKY V CREED FORESTVILLE BATTLE

>> CENTRAL FINALS | PANTHERS SET UP EAGLES REMATCH

>> CHAMPIONSHIP DESIRE SPURS JELLY ON

>> BIGGER PICTURE ALWAYS THE FOCUS FOR JEREMY SMITH

Greg Mays already had 12 points, Adam Doyle 11 and Jordan Forbes 10 for the home team who did get up an extra 10 shot attempts than South Adelaide on the back of pulling down 10 offensive rebounds and forcing the Panthers into eight turnovers.

But the Panthers were shooting better with 53 per cent from the field to 45 and that was ominous for the second half, and that's how it played out.

South Adelaide outscored Forestville 22 to 15 in the third quarter on the back of shooting 9/18 from the field to the 7/18 from the Eagles and that meant that by three quarter-time scores were all locked at 61-61.

Forestville found themselves back in front by five early in the fourth after a triple from Jordan Forbes but Lloyd McVeigh responded with his own three ball for South Adelaide, and when he scored after an Alex Starling turnover with five minutes on the clock, scores were level again.

McVeigh was a man possessed, though, and hit another three, hit a turnaround jumper, and then got the steal from Adam Doyle straight back from turning it over himself leading to an open layup that had the Panthers rocking.

A tough make down low from Yevgen Sakhniuk and then his pass for a Daniel Smith dunk was enough to seal the deal for South Adelaide to get them to the Grand Final with the six-point victory having earlier been down 10 in the third quarter.

It means the Panthers are into a third Grand Final in the past five years as they chase a first championship since 2022.

Lloyd McVeigh put up 12 points in the fourth quarter alone on his way to 30 for the night with four rebounds, three assists and two steals with 13/23 shooting from the field and 4/9 from the outside.

Jeremy Smith added 14 points, seven assists and three rebounds, Daniel Smith 14 points, eight boards and two assists, Rio Bruton 12 points, three assists and two rebounds, Jonty Smith eight points and three rebounds, and Yevgen Sakhniuk five points, seven assists and four rebounds.

Forestville still have another chance to book in their Grand Final spot when they host the Central Districts Lions in Saturday night's preliminary final.

Greg Mays finished with 23 points, six rebounds and two blocks for the Eagles with Jordan Forbes adding 15 points, five assists and three boards on 3/6 three-point shooting.

Adam Doyle also had 13 points, three rebounds and three assists, Daniel Johnson 12 points, seven boards and three assists, and Alex Starling 10 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and seven steals.

NBL1 CENTRAL 2026 SEASON | SECOND SEMI-FINAL

FORESTVILLE EAGLES 77 (Mays 23, Forbes 15, Doyle 13)

SOUTH ADELAIDE PANTHERS 83 (McVeigh 30, Jeremy Smith 14, D Smith 14)