East Finals | Bruins book return to Grand Final

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The Centre of Excellence put up a good fight but ultimately the class and experience of Tahlia Tupaea, Shyla Heal and Margot De Freitas was too much as Bankstown Bruins prevailed 74-63 to reach NBL1 East Grand Final.

A place in the Grand Final went on the line at Bankstown Basketball Stadium when the Bruins hosted the CoE with Bankstown trying to get back to a Grand Final for the first time in 11 years and the Basketball Australia rising stars looking for a second straight appearance.

The two teams did finish the regular season in third and fourth positions before Bankstown won first up in the finals against the defending champion Manly Warringah Sea Eagles to earn hosting rights for the preliminary final.

The Centre of Excellence did lose first up to the undefeated Norths Bears but hit back last week beating the Albury Wodonga Bandits to lock in the preliminary final appearance.

It was a tight battle through the first quarter with no more than three points separating the two teams with the scores locked at 18-18 by quarter-time.

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The Bruins were able to open up an 11-point lead in the second quarter and Tahlia Tupaea was showing the way to be up to 15 points by half-time with Shyla Heal adding nine points, five rebounds and five assists.

Bankstown did get up an extra seven shots and three more free throws having pulled down nine offensive rebounds and forcing the Centre of Excellence into nine turnovers throughout the opening half.

But the CoE were staying in touch thanks to shooting 52 per cent from the floor with Olivia Olechnowicz up to 11 points and Jemyma Manyok eight.

The Bruins did complete a 12-0 scoring run into the third quarter to see that lead grow out to 17 points but the CoE did manage to fire back with 10 straight points themselves and they were back within seven by three quarter-time.

Again in the last term Bankstown got out to a double figure lead and this time they were able to maintain that to win by 11 and book in their place in the Grand Final – a first since 2015 when they beat the Sutherland Sharks to complete a run of winning 10 championships over 17 years.

The Bruins now enter the Grand Final on another six-game winning streak with Tahlia Tupaea having produced 24 points, five rebounds, four steals and two assists.

Shyla Heal also produced a standout all-round showing with 19 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals while Margot De Freitas contributed 17 points, five boards and two blocked shots.

Considering how interrupted the CoE season was and all the changeover in personnel they did deal with along the way, it was an effort to be proud of to reach the preliminary final and put up such a valiant effort.

Olivia Olechnowicz finished with 13 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals with Isabel Smith adding 13 points, six assists, two boards and two steals, Jemyma Manyok 12 points and seven rebounds, and Lily Mapp 12 points and four boards.

NBL1 EAST 2026 SEASON | PRELIMINARY FINAL

BANKSTOWN BRUINS 74 (Tupaea 24, Heal 19, De Freitas 17)

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE 63 (Olechnowicz 13, Smith 13, Mapp 12, Manyok 12)