East Recap | Semi Finals

Image credit: Greg Francis (@DiscoveryOne_Photography)

Nash Walker showed what an exciting talent he is leading Centre of Excellence to NBL1 East semi-final win with 33 points and eight triples while there were wins for the Newcastle Falcons and CoE women, and Sutherland Sharks men.

EAST RECAP | FINALS WEEK 1

WOMEN

Newcastle Falcons (63) defeated Bankstown Bruins (52)

The championship defence of the Newcastle Falcons is alive after Nicole Munger scored 29 of the game's 115 points to lead her team to the 63-52 win over the Bankstown Bruins.

Coming off winning last year's championship, Newcastle finished the regular season in third position before a tough loss in the qualifying final last week on the road to the Norths Bears.

They had earned the right to host the semi-final at Newcastle Basketball Stadium up against a Bruins team who ended the regular season in sixth spot before beating the Maitland Mustangs by four points in a thrilling elimination final.

Newcastle started strongly on their home floor with an 8-0 run in the first quarter to open up an 11-point lead, and then to be on top 23-14 by quarter-time.

That lead for the Falcons got out to as much as 20 points in the second term with the home team still leading 41-26 by the half-time break on shooting 14/35 from the field to 10/36 from the Bruins.

The scoring really dried up for both teams in the second half with only the combined 48 points which meant that making up that 15-point deficit proved a bridge too far for Bankstown.

The Bruins did outscore the Falcons 26 to 22 but it was on 9/31 shooting to the 7/36, but Newcastle did enough to secure the 11-point victory.

Newcastle now win the way into another preliminary final where they will take on the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in a mouth-watering match up with a spot in the grand final on the line.

Reigning MVP Nicole Munger was once again outstanding in the win for Newcastle with 29 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and two steals to be the major difference between the two sides.

Meg Jefferson added 12 points and three rebounds, Sophie Brennan 10 points, six assists and two steals, Claudea Waihape-Andrews six points, seven rebounds and seven steals, and Kate Kingham six points and three boards.

The season is over for the Bruins after they did well to win into the semi finals with Juliunn Redmond top-scoring with 13 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Kiahna Davis-White also had 11 points and nine rebounds, Sienna Tutani nine points and three boards, Jane Dunlop eight points, three assists and two rebounds, and Jada Rice six points, 15 boards, three blocks and two assists.

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 63 (Munger 29, Jefferson 12, Brennan 10)

BANKSTOWN BRUINS 52 (Redmond 13, Davis-White 11, Tutani 9)

Albury-Wodonga Bandits (73) lost to Centre of Excellence (75)

Missed free throws became the story of the night with Olivia Olechnowicz missing two late to deny her team the chance to put the game to bed before Caitie Jones missed two to allow the Centre of Excellence to beat the Albury-Wodonga Bandits 75-73.

It was always set up to be a terrific contest with a preliminary final spot on the line between two teams who at their best this season, have appeared capable of being genuine contenders.

The Centre of Excellence did end up in fifth spot after losing six of their last eight games either side of a month long break and also missing a host of players who were away with the national team at the Under-19 World Cup.

However, they were back to full strength last week to open the finals to beat the Canberra Nationals by 30 points while the Bandits had a strong regular season to end up in fourth place as the highest scoring team in the NBL1 East.

They did lose their qualifying final on the road last week to the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles but had earned the right to host the CoE in the semi-final at Lauren Jackson Sports Centre.

It would prove to be a tight contest the entire evening with no more than eight points ever separating the two teams with the Centre of Excellence leading 20-17 by quarter-time.

Albury-Wodonga responded with 20 points to 17 in the second frame and as a result the scores were all level at 37-37 by the half-time break.

The Bandits opened up a game-high eight-point lead in the third quarter and they were still on top by four at three quarter-time, but the Centre of Excellence responded in the fourth term ending up outscoring the home team 25-19.

That all set up the dramatic finish with the CoE opening up a five-point lead when Isabel Smith knocked down a three-pointer with two minutes to play.

Caitie Jones responded for Albury-Wodonga with two quick buckets before Zara Russell and Brynn Masikewich traded three-point players for their respective teams.

Russell then scored again for the Centre of Excellence to put them back up three before then with time running out, the Bandits had to send Olivia Olechnowicz to the foul line.

She missed both to keep Albury-Wodonga in the contest trailing by three ahead of the final possession which saw Jones fouled when attempting the three-pointer.

She needed to make all three to send the game to overtime, but made just the one and as a result the Centre of Excellence stayed alive with the two-point victory.

The CoE will take on the Norths Bears in a preliminary final next Saturday evening with a spot in the grand final on the line.

Zara Russell ended up with 22 points, seven rebounds and two assists in the win for the Centre of Excellence with Olivia Olechnowicz adding 18 points, five boards and two steals.

Emilija Dakic also had 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals, Sitaya Fagan 10 points, 11 boards, three steals, two blocks and two assists, and Isabel Smith nine points, four rebounds and three assists.

The season is over for Albury-Wodonga with the two finals defeats despite Caitie Jones ending up with 29 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Brynn Masikewich added 17 points, 16 rebounds, two assists and two steals, and Riley Lupfer 15 points, five boards and three assists on 4/11 three-point shooting.

ALBURY-WODONGA BANDITS 73 (Jones 29, Masikewich 17, Lupfer 15)

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE 75 (Russell 22, Olechnowicz 18, Dakic 12)

MEN

Centre of Excellence (97) defeated Norths Bears (88)

Tasmanian 17-year-old Nash Walker lit it up with 33 points and eight three-pointers to keep the season alive for the Centre of Excellence with the 97-88 victory at home to the Norths Bears.

Things had worked well in the favour of the Centre of Excellence in terms of not having to leave Canberra for last week's qualifying final loss to the Canberra Gunners and now to host the Bears at the Australian Institute of Sport for the semi-final on Saturday.

The Bears booked their place by beating the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the elimination final last week with the winner to book in a place in next Saturday's preliminary final.

It was an impressive start at home for the Centre of Excellence with 27 points to 18 in the first quarter thanks to knocking down 4/8 from downtown to the 1/4 from the Bears who shot 5/14 overall.

The lead for the CoE did get out to as much as 13 points in the second quarter but the Bears did well to stay in touch and limit the lead of the Basketball Australia rising stars to 54-43 by half-time.

Norths did hit back in the third quarter outscoring the CoE 22 points to 18 to cut the deficit back to seven by three quarter-time, but the Centre of Excellence maintained their lead the rest of the way to end up securing the nine-point victory.

The CoE ended up shooting 51 per cent from the field to 48 while making 14/32 from three with the Bears knocking down 9/19.

The Centre of Excellence now advance to the preliminary final where they will face the rampant Illawarra Hawks led by Todd Blanchfield and Kobe McDowell-White.

Nash Walker was the major difference between the two teams with the Tasmanian 17-year-old who is committed to Marquette was on fire with 8/16 three-point shooting on his way to 33 points, three rebounds and two assists.

Che Brogan was also instrumental in the CoE win with 21 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals, Ajak Nyuon 12 points, three boards and two blocks, and Alex Dickeson just missed a triple-double with nine points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

The season is now over for the Bears with their four-match winning streak snapped with Austin Patterson producing another 27 points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals.

Lachlan Bofinger added 20 points and seven rebounds, Matthew Wacher 20 points, three assists, three steals and two boards, Iggy Mitchell 11 points and two rebounds, and Hunter Goodrick six points, 12 boards, two assists and two steals.

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE 97 (Walker 33, Brogan 21, Nyuon 12)

NORTHS BEARS 88 (Patterson 27, Bofinger 20, Wacher 20)

Sydney Comets (66) lost to Sutherland Sharks (72)

Both teams were missing their biggest names including some NBL championship winners and it was the Sutherland Sharks that kept their momentum going with the 72-66 win over the Sydney Comets.

The Comets lost the last four games of the regular season in the absence of Davo Hickey and Biwali Bayles but still finished in fourth place before a first up finals loss last Saturday to the rampant Illawarra Hawks.

The Sharks, meanwhile, qualified for the finals from eighth position before beating the Bankstown Bruins in a star-studded elimination final last Saturday to set up their semi-final battle with Sydney at Comets Stadium.

With the Comets still without Bayles and Hickey, Sutherland were also missing Kouat Noi so whichever team was going to advance would need some other role players taking on key roles.

The Comets were on their home floor and started well to lead 16-13 by quarter-time before the Sharks outscored them 20 points to 15 to go into half-time with the narrow 33-31 lead.

The momentum swings continued with Sydney outscoring Sutherland 17 points to eight in the third frame, but then it was a dominant fourth quarter from the Sharks.

Sutherland put up 31 points on shooting 14/17 at the foul line to go with 7/12 from the field while holding Sydney to 18 points on 6/14 shooting.

The Sharks ended up securing the six-point win as a result to book their place in a preliminary final next Saturday night against the Canberra Gunners in Tuggeranong.

He's already a championship captain from 2023 and Lochlan Hutchison is a man on a mission late in this 2025 season delivering another 22 points, seven rebounds and four steals with 14/16 free-throw shooting for Sutherland.

Sydney Kings big man Jason Spurgin also had 17 points and nine rebounds with late season arrival from the West Taylor Young producing 10 points and two steals, Adrian Cabrera nine points, eight rebounds and three assists, Ryan Abbott 10 points and three assists, and Luke Jamieson four points and 11 boards.

A season that promised so much for the Comets at full strength is now over with the straight sets exit despite Obi Kyei delivering another 15 points, 18 rebounds, four assists, four blocked shots and two steals.

Anthony Mundine III added 14 points with 4/9 three-point shooting while Johnny Crnogorac added 10 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks, two assists and two steals, and Viliami Foketi 10 points and seven rebounds.

SYDNEY COMETS 66 (Kyei 15, Mundine III 14, Crnogorac 10, Foketi 10)

SUTHERLAND SHARKS 72 (Hutchison 22, Spurgin 17, Abbott 10, Young 10)