East Spotlight | Bears beat Bandits to go 4-0

Featured image: Aaron Camua | @aaron.camua

Issy Morgan and Jaz Shelley were among the Sunday standouts as the Norths Bears continued their undefeated start to the NBL1 East season overcoming 33 points and 20 rebounds from Unique Thompson to beat the Albury Wodonga Bandits 91-82.

Both teams came into the Sunday match up at North Sydney Indoor Sports Centre on the back of big wins on Saturday with the Bears improving to 3-0 beating the Bankstown Bruins by 52 points while the Bandits got on the board in 2026 beating the Central Coast Crusaders by 43.

That set up a fascinating match up on Sunday and there were no shortage of stars across both teams, but the Bears proved too strong the longer the game went.

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While the Bears never trailed in the game nor did they ever lead by more than 12 points, they did remain in a degree of control the entire way to secure the eventual nine-point victory on their home floor.

It's an ominous start to the season from the Bears with the four straight wins on the back of shooting 50 per cent from the field and 10/23 from downtown along with 15/21 at the stripe to make up for just the six offensive rebounds and taking 10 fewer shot attempts.

Issy Morgan delivered 21 points and three rebounds in the win for Norths while Jaz Shelley had another standout all-round performance with 19 points, eight boards, five steals and four assists.

Rebecca Donnelly also had 14 points with 4/6 three-point shooting, Emily Simons 14 points, seven boards and three assists, Caitlyn Martin eight points, six assists and four steals, Emma Donnelly seven points, and Peggy Schell eight points, six assists and four steals.

Albury Wodonga are now 1-2 to start the season despite a monstrous performance from Unique Thompson on the back of her first time playing in the WNBL with the Sydney Flames.

She finished with 33 points, 20 rebounds and two assists on 14/25 shooting from the field and 5/6 at the free-throw line with eight of her boards coming at the offensive end.

Emily Lyttle also had 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists with Kijana McCowan contributing 11 points and four steals with all her points coming in the first half, and Timeeka Coleman nine points and five assists.

Both teams were feeling good after big wins on Saturday ahead of the Sunday morning tip-off and it was the Bears starting the better with seven first quarter points from the seven turnovers coughed up by the Bandits.

Even with Caitlyn Martin picking up three fouls that ended her first half early after three assists, Norths went into quarter-time leading 18-13 with five points and four rebounds from Jaz Shelley and despite the seven points and nine boards for the Bandits from Unique Thompson.

The lead for the Bears then got out to 12 early in the second quarter but Albury Wodonga responded impressively and ended up scoring 27 points in the term with Thompson getting some impressive help.

Thompson still had 13 and 12 by the half, but Kijana McCowan and Emily Lyttle had combined for 21 points and with them also having just two turnovers in the quarter, they had closed the gap on the Bears to three by the half-time interval.

It remained a tight battle in the third quarter with 24 points to 21 in favour of Norths as the home team saw their lead grow to six by three quarter-time with their pressure again rewarded forcing the Bandits into six more turnovers from which they scored another five points.

The Bears were able to retain control through the fourth quarter with another 24 points to 21 to score the nine-point win at home to improve to 4-0 to start the new season.

The Bears will remain at home on Saturday to host the Sutherland Sharks while the Bandits are back home the same evening against the Hills Hornets.

NBL1 EAST 2026 SEASON | ROUND 2

NORTHS BEARS 91 (Morgan 21, Shelley 19, Simons 14, R Donnelly 14)

ALBURY WODONGA BANDITS 82 (Thompson 33, Lyttle 18, McCowan 11, Mahady 11)