Central Spotlight | Bearcats fire late in battle of top teams

Featured image: @snapshotphotography3 / Snap Shot Photography

It was a dead rubber to close the NBL1 Central regular season but the Sturt Sabres led by Tayla Brazel limited the regular season champs to 41 points in three quarters before the West Adelaide Bearcats had 36 in the last term to win 77-56.

Coming into the final round match up at Springbank Secondary College and West Adelaide had locked away top spot and Sturt were secure in second so at least in terms of the standings, nothing could be impacted by the result.

That didn’t mean that both teams didn’t want to get a win over a team that there is every chance they are going to face again at some point during the finals but they only combined for 48 points on 20/64 shooting in the first half.

Sturt were then leading 45-41 by three quarter-time with Brazel having 16 of those points, but then it was all West Adelaide with 36 points to 11 in the last term to show why they have been the standout team all season to win by 21.

West Adelaide now finish the regular season three games clear on top at 17-1 with Sturt remaining second at 14-4.

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West Adelaide scored just 41 points on 15/46 shooting in three quarters, but then put up 36 in the final term with 13/18 shooting on the way to winning by 21 points to ensure they enter the finals and a week's break with winning form.

Morgan Yaeger was a big reason for West Adelaide's big finish to end up with 20 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals with 4/7 three-point shooting.

Alex Ciabattoni also had 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals, Chloe Hodges 16 points, 10 boards, six steals and three assists, and Coco Hodges 11 points, six rebounds and three steals.

Sturt were on top through most of the first three quarters and were still leading by four at three quarter-time but then managed just 11 points in the last quarter to miss out on the fifth straight win going into the finals.

Tayla Brazel had another standout performance despite the end result for the Sabres with 21 points, eight rebounds and three steals with 10/19 field goal shooting.

Paige Padroth added 11 points, three rebounds and two steals, and Zoe Walker-Roberts six points and four boards.

It was a dead rubber but at the same time bragging rights could still count for something and Sturt would want winning form to take into next week's qualifying final, and West Adelaide wouldn’t have wanted to go into a week off with a loss.

So that did still mean both teams would have wanted to win and didn't hold too much back, but at the same time it took a while for them to warm up and by quarter-time the scores were locked at 14-14.

The Sabres were shooting 6/14 to 5/16 with Tayla Brazel starting well with eight points for the home team and then scoring dried up even further with Sturt having 11 points and West Adelaide eight.

The Sabres shot juts 5/20 for the quarter and the Bearcats 4/14 and by half-time it was Sturt holding on to the 25-23 lead with the 48 combined points not quite what either team would have been expecting.

Things picked up on the scoring front in the third quarter with 20 points to 18 in favour of Sturt to see the home team leading 45-41 by three quarter-time.

But it was then all West Adelaide who found some blistering form by putting up 36 points on the back of 13/18 shooting with 5/8 from three-point territory to turn that four-point deficit into the 21-point win on the back of holding Sturt to the 11 points in the last 10 minutes.

Both teams now turn their attention to starting their finals campaign with West Adelaide having a week off before hosting a semi-final on Saturday July 25 and next Saturday the Sabres are at home to the Norwood Flames in a qualifying final.

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STURT SABRES 56 (Brazel 21, Padroth 11, Z Walker-Roberts 6)

WEST ADELAIDE BEARCATS 77 (Yaeger 20, Ciabattoni 19, Chloe Hodges 16)