East Spotlight | Brugler arrives to keep Bears unbeaten

Featured image: Aaron Camua | @aaron.camua 

It was the battle of undefeated NBL1 East teams and the Norths Bears improved to 4-0 getting a huge first up effort from new signing Talya Brugler in the 84-65 home win over the Sutherland Sharks.

Ther Bears were home at North Sydney Indoor Sports Centre having won their opening three matches and brining in a new import with Brugler but the Sharks had also started well.

They had won their opening two matches with one of those with and without superstar Lauren Nicholson with the new mum back in the line-up for the Saturday match up with the Bears.

Norths remained in a degree of control most of the contest leading by as much as 23 points in the second half on the way to the 19-point win to improve to 4-0 to start 2026.

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Norths only got to the foul line eight times in the game but 39 of their 68 shot attempts came from three-point territory where they knocked down 16 at 41 per cent.

That proved the major difference with the Sharks going just 8/21 from three themselves and 39 per cent overall from the field.

The Bears came into the game already 3-0 on the season and welcomed in new import Talya Brugler who is fresh off a first professional season in Greece with Giannina on the back of a standout college career with Saint Joseph's University in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

She wasted no time fitting in either with 23 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocks on 10/15 shooting with 3/7 from deep and being +21 in her 35 minutes.

Caitlyn Martin also had 15 points and eight assists for Norths with 4/6 three-point shooting while Issy Morgan had 12 points and three steals fresh off re-signing with the Sydney Flames for WNBL27.

Emma Donnelly had eight of her 11 points in the first quarter and shot 3/6 from behind the arc while Jaz Shelley ended up with eight points, seven rebounds, six assists and two blocked shots.

The Sharks are now 2-1 to start the season after suffering a first defeat with Abi Curtin having 16 of her 18 points in the first half while ending with six rebounds and 8/15 shooting.

Lauren Nicholson returned with 13 points, seven assists and five rebounds with Ella Dent contributing 13 points and four assists, and Maddy Norris 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

The Bears put their unbeaten record on the line but it was always going to be a test against the Sharks especially with Lauren Nicholson back into their line-up, and Sutherland did get the better of the start to lead by eight early.

But the Bears fired back with their own 9-0 run and with Emma Donnelly going 2/3 from deep for eight points in the opening term, it was Norths on top 26-19 by quarter-time on 53 per cent shooting to the 37 from the Sharks.

Norths opened up a double-figure lead during the second quarter but couldn’t quite pull away further despite making another five three-pointers as a team.

They were going 10/22 from the land of plenty by half-time but just 45 per cent overall from the field to be leading 43-34 with Abi Curtin keeping Sutherland in touch with 16 points on 7/10 shooting while making both her three-point attempts.

The Bears then broke the game open in the third period with the lead growing to 23 points and it was still at 17 by three quarter-time with them making another four three-points in the quarter and pulling down five offensive rebounds and forcing Sutherland into four turnovers.

Norths remained in control in the fourth quarter even with the Sharks scoring 11 straight points to end up winning by 19 and stay undefeated to start the 2026 season.

It's the lone game of the round for both teams with the Bears away to the Sydney Comets on Anzac Day with the Sharks also away to the Illawarra Hawks next Saturday.

NBL1 EAST 2026 SEASON | ROUND 3

NORTHS BEARS 84 (Brugler 23, Martin 15, Morgan 12)

SUTHERLAND SHARKS 65 (Curtin 18, Dent 13, Nicholson 13)