Central Spotlight | Bearcats blow out Flames to go 6-0

Featured image: Mark Willoughby  @aussie_photo_media

The West Adelaide Bearcats put together a sixth straight dominant performance to open the NBL1 Central season to hammer the Norwood Flames 83-53 at home on Anzac Day eve on Friday.

The Bearcats had scored five thumping wins to start the season with smallest margin being 23 points and they kept that momentum going already leading by 17 points at quarter-time before going up by as much as 39 in the second half before beating the Flames by 30.

It was a domination from West Adelaide and they ended up with 50 points in the paint to 24 along with 16 points from turnovers to six, the only six second chance points in the game, and 28 fast break points to five to keep their undefeated start going with six wins at an average of 36.8 points.

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It was as dominant a performance as you'll find from West Adelaide at least for three quarters as they improved to 6-0 even while only shooting 41 per cent from the field, 20 per cent from three and 56 per cent at the foul line.

But the Bearcats pulled down 15 offensive rebounds and forced the Flames into 31 turnovers which led to them taking 29 extra shots for the game which combined with Norwood shooting 29 per cent from the field and 1/14 from deep, and that's where the 30-point margin was.

Morgan Yaeger wasn’t needed in the fourth quarter but up to that point in her 21 minutes she delivered 25 points, three steals and two rebounds on 10/16 shooting while being +26.

Sienna Lehmann added 12 points, five rebounds and four assists, Coco Hodges 11 points, five boards and three steals, Krystal Thompson 10 points and six steals, and Ashlee Strawbridge nine points and three boards.

Norwood are now 2-4 on the season and dearly missed Dara Mabrey against the Bearcats juggernaut and then Cali Clark fouling out in the third quarter after playing just 15:32 didn’t help. She had 14 points and seven rebounds.

Brooke Silby added 11 points, three rebounds and two steals, Maddy Hinton eight points and three assists, and Caitlin Hardin seven points, three rebounds and three steals.

West Adelaide came into the contest at home in dominant form so far in 2026 and kept that going with 29 points to 12 in the opening quarter including 26 of those 29 points being scored inside the paint with the Flames having no answer for them down low.

It was another 23 points to 16 in the second frame in favour of the Bearcats and by half-time they were leading 52-28 with Morgan Yaeger unstoppable with 19 points already to her name on 8/10 shooting from the field.

West Adelaide had also forced Norwood into 17 turnovers and they ended up attempting an extra 18 shots as a result.

The Flames then managed just the eight points in the entire third quarter with 2/14 shooting along with having another six turnovers and just to rub salt into the wounds, Cali Clark fouled out as well.

West Adelaide put up another 21 points including six more to Yaeger for the 73-36 advantage by three quarter-time.

Norwood did manage to win the final quarter 17 points to 10 but that didn’t stop West Adelaide still winning big by 30 points.

Both teams back up to play again on Anzac Day with the Bearcats away to the Southern Tigers while the Flames play host to the Forestville Eagles.

NBL1 CENTRAL 2026 SEASON | ANZAC ROUND

WEST ADELAIDE BEARCATS 83 (Yaeger 25, Lehmann 12, Coco Hodges 11)

NORWOOD FLAMES 53 (Clark 14, Silby 11, Hinton 8)