Central Spotlight | Bearcats show dominance over Panthers

Featured image: Sonya Connor Photography

The West Adelaide Bearcats sent an ominous message of their intent this NBL1 Central season remaining unbeaten with the 109-54 thumping of the South Adelaide Panthers with Coco Hodges, Ashlee Strawbridge and Morgan Yaeger combining for 69 points.

The Bearcats arrived at Mitchell Park Sports and Community Centre having won their opening three games of the season against the North Adelaide Rockets, Woodville Warriors and Forestville Eagles by an average of over 30 points.

Even though South Adelaide came into the game having won their past two games too against the Eagles and Norwood Flames, they had no answers for the Bearcats even on their home floor.

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Across the second and third quarters the Bearcats outscored the Panthers 60 points to 15 in a remarkably dominant showing on the way to the eventual 55-point win to improve to a 4-0 start to the season.

West Adelaide finished the night shooting 51 per cent from the floor with 15/41 from three-point range and they left points out there going 12/19 at the foul line.

Coco Hodges did most of her damage in the first half on her way to 27 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals with 5/10 three-point shooting for the game for the Bearcats.

Ashlee Strawbridge had nine of her 22 points in the first quarter too to go with four rebounds and to end up shooting 9/11 from the field and 4/6 from behind the arc.

Morgan Yaeger delivered 20 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and five steals, Chloe Hodges 13 points, nine boards, six assists and two steals, and Georgina Salandra nine points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.

It was a tough night for South Adelaide shooting just 30 per cent overall with 4/18 from behind the arc and 12/22 at the free-throw line with the 27 turnovers thrown in as they slip to 2-2 on the season.

Aimee Brett finished with 11 points, three rebounds and two assists with Hatti Cox contributing 11 points, two assists and two steals, Hannah Gardiner 10 points and nine boards, and Keira Gardiner nine points, five rebounds and two steals.

Both teams brought winning form into the match up but the Bearcats shot the ball better in the opening quarter and that was why they went into quarter-time leading 29-18.

South Adelaide did pull down eight offensive rebounds and both teams took the same number of shots and each of them got to the foul line 10 times, but the Bearcats shot 10/20 opposed to 5/20 to hold the 11-point lead after one.

It was then complete domination from West Adelaide in the second quarter with the Bearcats putting up 31 points to just seven to go into half-time well in command leading 60-25.

Coco Hodges already had 20 points with four three-pointers under her belt with the Panthers having 11 turnovers in the second quarter alone while only shooting 3/11 overall and not collecting another offensive board after the eight in the first period.

It was more of the same in the third quarter with another 29 points to eight in favour of West Adelaide and again the Panthers struggled to find ways to score shooting just 4/16 in the period while the Bearcats went 11/21.

To South Adelaide's credit, they did fight the game out and even outscored West Adelaide 21-20 in the final stanza but that did only cut the Bearcats winning margin to 55 in the finish.

The Bearcats will look to maintain their dominant start to the season still on the road next Saturday to the Central Coast Lions as the Panthers attempt to bounce back on the road to the Southern Tigers.

NBL1 CENTRAL 2026 SEASON | ROUND 4

SOUTH ADELAIDE PANTHERS 54 (Cox 11, Brett 11, H Gardiner 10)

WEST ADELAIDE BEARCATS 109 (Coco Hodges 27, Strawbridge 22, Yaeger 20)