East Finals | Bears and Shelley too much for CoE

Featured image: Aaron Camua | @aaron.camua

The Centre of Excellence still qualified for a top four finish but were playing a first NBL1 East game in five weeks and were no match for Norths Bears to open the finals as they improved to 21-0 with Jaz Shelley unstoppable in the 95-54 win.

Even with welcoming some important players back including Olivia Olechnowicz, Isabel Smith, Jay Sebasio, Jemyma Manyok, Lily Mapp, Jasmine Jones and Jade Sherrington from the U17 FIBA World Cup in Czechia, it was a huge task for the CoE just to try and compete with the Bears.

Norths completed the perfect regular season going 20-0 to earn home court advantage for the qualifying final at North Sydney Indoor Sports Centre but it was a tight battle through the second half.

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The Bears only managed to lead 21 points to 20 in the first quarter before 21 to 19 in the second to go into the half-time break narrowly leading 42-39.

Coming out of the half-time interval and it was a total domination from Norths with a 16-0 run in the third quarter on the way to outscoring the Centre of Excellence 28 points to seven to be leading 70-46 by three quarter-time.

Likely MVP Jaz Shelley was already up tot 29 points while the 17 turnovers from the CoE saw them get up 13 extra shot attempts and was a big reason why the Bears were pulling away.

Norths continued to be in charge with another 15-0 run in the fourth quarter to outscore the Centre of Excellence 25 points to eight on the back of shooting a scorching 7/11 from the outside while the CoE only went 4/10 from the field with another five turnovers to close the game.

That saw the Bears end up winning by 41 points to earn the week off and a home preliminary final on the back of landing 17/36 from the outside while pulling down 19 offensive rebounds to six, and forcing the CoE into 22 turnovers to end up attempting 23 more shots for the game.

Jaz Shelley once again showed why she is likely going to be named MVP with another 32 points, seven assists, six rebounds and four steals with 6/14 three-point shooting.

Talya Brugler also had 19 points, nine rebounds, six steals and three assists for the Bears, Issy Morgan 16 points, seven boards, two assists and two steals, and Emma Donnelly 11 points, six rebounds and two assists.

The Centre of Excellence do remain alive and will host the Albury Wodonga Bandits in a semi-final next Saturday after finishing the game shooting 39 per cent from the field with just 2/9 from the outside and 6/8 from the foul line.

Eliza Shanahan top scored for the CoE with 11 points and three rebounds with Isabel Smith adding 10 points, three boards and three assists, Jemyma Manyok eight points, eight rebounds and three blocks, Aspen Crase eight points and four boards, and Olivia Olechnowicz seven points, three rebounds and three assists.

NBL1 EAST 2026 SEASON | QUALIFYING FINAL

NORTHS BEARS 95 (Shelley 32, Brugler 19, Morgan 16)

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE 54 (Shanahan 11, Smith 10, Manyok 8, Crase 8)