Central Spotlight | Smith delivers huge Panthers fightback

Featured image: @snapshotphotography3 / Snap Shot Photography

Jeremy Smith inspired the South Adelaide Panthers to a stunning come from behind 87-83 win over the Norwood Flames in what could be the last ever NBL1 Central game at Marion Basketball Stadium.

There's every chance it's the last home game in the building for the Panthers and there was South Australian basketball royalty on hand in the venue for the occasion, including the last championship coach Scott Ninnis, and they were treated to quite the show.

Norwood arrived attempting to back up their last up win over the Southern Tigers while South Adelaide were still hunting a first win of 2026.

For most of the night it certainly appeared the Flames were on track for consecutive wins leading by as much as 18 points in the third quarter, but then it was Smith who took over. The Panthers turned the tide with 50 points to 32 in the second half for the four-point win.

Smith made sure it was a night to remember for South Adelaide at Marion by finishing with 25 points and six rebounds on 10/15 field goal shooting in his nearly 34 minutes of court time.

Rio Bruton continued his impressive start to the season with another 17 points on 7/12 shooting with Lloyd McVeigh adding 14 points, nine rebounds and two assists coming off his first NBL opportunity this past season alongside brother Jack at the Cairns Taipans.

Yevgen Sakhniuk added 11 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and two blocks, Jonty Smith 11 points and five boards, and Koby Moir seven points and two rebounds.

It was a tough loss to take for Norwood having been up 18 in the third quarter with Campbell Scott finishing with 36 points with 10/20 three-point shooting.

Cooper Osborne also had 16 points, seven assists and four rebounds, Tom Kurowski 12 points, five boards, four steals and two assists, and Inady Legiste eight points, eight rebounds and two steals.

Campbell Scott had a big start for Norwood away from home with 13 points in the first quarter. That helped the Flames head into quarter-time leading 22-19 having forced the Panthers into seven turnovers and kept them to just 14 shot attempts in 10 minutes.

That lead for Norwood then blew out to 16 points during the second quarter and the Flames would head into the half-time break in control leading 51-37 on the back of outscoring South Adelaide 29 points to 18 for the team.

By the break, Scott already had 26 points to his name with 6/12 three-point shooting and the Flames were +16 with him out there even if they were only shooting 34 per cent from the field as a team.

South Adelaide had 12 turnovers already by half-time but took much better care of the ball in the third quarter. The result was getting right back into the contest with Jeremy Smith showing the way.

The Panthers outscored the Flames 22 points to 12 in the quarter with Norwood managing to only shoot 3/18 with all three of their makes coming from three-point range.

South Adelaide then wouldn’t be denied in the fourth quarter with Smith putting the team on his back. They scored 10 straight points in the fourth quarter on the way to outscoring Norwood 28 points to 20 to secure the memorable four-point win in what could be the last game in the building.

South Adelaide will take on the West Adelaide Bearcats next Saturday at Mitchell Park Sports and Community Centre while the Flames will be at home to the North Adelaide Rockets.

NBL1 CENTRAL 2026 SEASON | ROUND 3

SOUTH ADELAIDE PANTHERS 87 (Smith 25, Bruton 17, McVeigh 14)

NORWOOD FLAMES 83 (Scott 36, Osborne 16, Kurowski 12)