Central Wrap | Women's Round 8

Featured image: Dan Cowley | @imagesby_dan

The West Adelaide Bearcats welcomed Alex Ciabbatoni and went to 9-0 while the Woodville Warriors made it four straight in NBL1 Central, the Norwood Flames three in-a-row and there were big wins also for the Forestville Eagles and South Adelaide Panthers.

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Norwood Flames (75) defeated Central Districts Lions (58)

The Norwood Flames made it here straight wins with Cali Clark delivering 19 points and 16 rebounds in their 75-58 home victory against the Central Districts Lions.

The Flames were back home at The ARC having won their last two games to be knocking on the door of a finals position as they hosted a Lions team also fresh off beating the North Adelaide Rockets.

It was Centrals who had the better of the start to open up a 10-point lead to still be up 17-10 by quarter-time and they were still leading 36-30 by half-time.

But it was all Norwood in the second half with them outscoring Central Districts 45 points to 22 on the way to the 17-point win to improve to a 5-4 record.

Cali Clark delivered 19 points, 16 rebounds, four steals and three assists with Allysyn Becki adding 16 points, five boards, five assists and four steals, and Caitlin Shillabeer eight points and two assists.

Centrals are now 2-7 with Emily Winter finishing with 14 points, three rebounds and two assists, Alana Howden 13 points, five boards, four steals and three assists, Grace Stone 10 points, four rebounds and three assists, and Elin Gustavsson nine points and seven boards.

West Adelaide Bearcats (93) defeated Sturt Sabres (66)

The West Adelaide Bearcats handed the Sturt Sabres consecutive defeats and sent a message that they are the team to beat by staying perfect and moving two games clear while welcoming in Alex Ciabattoni with the 93-66 win.

It had been pencilled in as the battle of undefeated teams through a lot of the first part of the season only for the Sabres to slip up last week against the Norwood Flames after winning the first seven of 2026.

West Adelaide came into the match up as the lone undefeated team left as they hosted the Sabres at Port Adelaide Recreation Centre while welcoming Ciabattoni.

She also started the NBL1 season in the West at the Cockburn Cougars where she was averaging 19.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists including playing on Friday night.

She had 17 points, six assists, five rebounds and five assists on Friday in Cockburn's win against Mandurah before coming straight to Adelaide to line-up for the Bearcats to take on the Sabres.

That's quite the addition to a team already looking ominous and West Adelaide dominated Sturt from the outset to lead by as much as 30 points before winning by 27 to improve to 9-0 to start 2026 with the Sabres now 7-2.

Coco Hodges ended up with 22 points, 12 rebounds and five steals on 7/11 shooting with 6/7 at the foul line with Morgan Yaeger adding 17 points, eight boards and four assists.

Ciabattoni enjoyed her return home to Adelaide with 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals with Chloe Hodges adding 13 points, eight boards, three assists and three steals, and Sienna Lehmann eight points, seven rebounds and two assists.

Liz Williamson top-scored for Sturt with 12 points with four rebounds and two assists on 6/8 field goal shooting with Tayla Brazel adding 10 points, four boards, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

Katia Stamatelopoulos also had nine points and five rebounds, Nicola Mathews eight points, five boards and two assists, and Zoe Walker-Roberts seven points, seven rebounds and two steals.

South Adelaide Panthers (100) defeated Eastern Mavericks (56)

The South Adelaide Panthers hit back emphatically from last week's loss with a 100-56 hammering of the Eastern Mavericks 100-56.

The Panthers were back home at Mitchell Park Sports and Community Centre looking to rebound from the loss to the Woodville Warriors with the Mavs arriving trying to avoid a seven consecutive defeat.

It was a dominant performance from the outset from South Adelaide with 25 points to 13 in the first quarter and they continued to build on that all evening.

The Panthers would end up leading by 19 points at half-time, 30 at three quarter-time and then 44 by the final buzzer to improve to a 6-3 record having won six of their past seven.

Hannah Gardiner finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and two assists for South Adelaide with Keira Gardiner adding 18 points, nine boards, five assists and three steals, and Hannah Stewart 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Daisy Hocking also had 13 points, seven steals, four rebounds and two assists, Grace Taylor eight points and three boards, Emilia Garcia Leon seven points, seven rebounds and two blocks, and Bianca Stasinowsky seven points, six boards and two blocked shots.

The Mavericks have now lost seven straight to be 1-8 with Annaliese Watkinson providing 17 points, five rebounds and two assists, Bella Schaftenaar 12 points, eight boards and three steals, and Antigonie Sanabria 10 points and six rebounds.

North Adelaide Rockets (60) lost to Forestville Eagles (78)

Sam Simons knocked down another five three-pointers for the Forestville Eagles to make it back-to-back wins with the 78-60 victory win against the North Adelaide Rockets.

The Rockets were back home at The Lights looking to snap a four-game losing run while Forestville arrived fresh up a last up win against the Southern Tigers.

It was a dominant opening quarter from Forestville with 27 points to 14 in the first quarter but North Adelaide fired back with 22 to 10 in the and the Eagles were clinging to a one-point lead by half-time.

The Rockets scored six straight points in the third quarter as well to grab the lead, but then Forestville responded by going on a 15-0 run and eventually that edge was out to 20 points for them.

The Eagles went on to win by 18 and improve to 5-4 with back-to-back wins while Sydney Hunter put up 17 points and four rebounds with Sarah Boothe contributing 14 points and 13 boards.

Sam Simons went 5/11 from three-point range for 16 points, five rebounds and three assists with Jess Simons going 3/7 from downtown for nine points, three boards and two assists, Gabi Vidmar nine points, Rachael King seven points and six rebounds, and Ella Sawyer six points, eight assists and five boards.

North Adelaide are now 1-8 having lost their past five with Jordyn Freer finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds and two assists with Briarley Rogers adding 14 points, three steals, three assists and two boards.

Abbey Jones also had 13 points and nine rebounds, and Sarah Warner 12 points with 3/4 three-point shooting.

Woodville Warriors (84) defeated Southern Tigers (64)

Lealani Falatea, Brittany Hodges and Naomi Allotey combined for 57 points as the Woodville Warriors made it four consecutive wins beating the Southern Tigers 84-64.

The defending champion Warriors were back home at St Clair Recreation Centre having won their past three games with the Tigers arriving on a four-game losing slide.

The Warriors build a nine-point lead in the first term but that was back to just four at quarter-time before they did pull away again with 25 points to 17 in the second to be leading 45-33 at the half.

It was another 22 points to 14 in the third term for Woodville to end up building a 26-point lead before winning by 20 and improving to 6-3 with four straight wins.

Naomi Allotey ended up with 18 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals, Brittany Hodges 18 points, seven boards and three assists, and Lealani Falatea top-scored with 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

Sophie Kerridge added 11 points, seven steals and six assists, and Ambah Kowcun nine points, three rebounds and three steals.

The Tigers have now lost the past five at 3-6 with Sophie Rogers top-scoring with 15 points on 5/9 three-point shooting with Holly Forbes adding nine points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals, Annelise Bartsch eight points and seven boards, and Lauren Badenoch eight points and three assists.