East Spotlight | CoE hit back to beat Falcons

Featured image: @DiscoveryOne_Photography, Greg Francis

The Centre of Excellence shook off two NBL1 East losses to hit back with plenty of strong contributors in their eventual 84-61 home win against the Newcastle Falcons.

The CoE were back home at the Australian Institute of Sport having lost both games on the road last weekend to the Norths Bears and Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Spiders with the Falcons arriving fresh off winning their last two against the Maitland Mustangs and Illawarra Hawks.

The Falcons were also in the top four and the CoE trying to break in to set up the match up and it was in the third quarter that the home team made their move with 30 points to 15 to open up a 15-point advantage.

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The CoE continued to build on that the rest of the way to end up scoring the 23-point victory to improve to a 9-4 record on the season with the Falcons now 8-3 following defeat.

The Centre of Excellence ended up shooting 49 per cent from the field to 35 from Newcastle while also making 9/23 from deep to 4/13.

Zara Russell delivered 19 points and three assists in the win for the Centre of Excellence on 8/13 shooting from the field with 3/4 from downtown.

Isabel Smith added 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals with Lily Mapp providing 12 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks, and Aspen Crase 10 points and seven boards.

Then there was Olivia Olechnowicz who ended up with nine points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals with the CoE +34 in her 31 minutes.

It was a tough outing for Newcastle with Saffron Shiels yet to arrive with Meg Jefferson ending up with 21 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Three-time MVP Nicole Munger also had 13 points, five assists and four rebounds, Claudea Waihape-Andrews eight points, four boards, three assists and two steals, and Mia Heide six points, 15 rebounds, four blocks, three steals and two assists.

The Centre of Excellence were coming off two losses with Newcastle arriving having won their last, and by quarter-time the scores were all locked at 17-17.

The CoE were shooting better going 8/16 to 6/17 from the field, but the Falcons had eight free throws to one, and also forced the home team into six turnovers in the first 10 minutes.

It was in the second quarter when the Centre of Excellence made their move going on a 9-0 run and getting out to a 15-point lead thanks to the 30 points to 15.

The CoE shot 13/23 from the field for the quarter including hitting four three balls and having just the two turnovers to take control of the contest by half-time leading 47-32.

The Centre of Excellence remained in control throughout the second half with the lead growing to as much as 23 points in the fourth quarter before they bounced back with the strong 23-point home victory.

The Centre of Excellence back up to host the Sydney Comets on Sunday while the Falcons don't play again until being away to the Bankstown Bruins on Saturday June 13.

NBL1 EAST 2026 SEASON | HERITAGE ROUND

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE 84 (Russell 19, Smith 18, Mapp 12)

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 61 (Jefferson 21, Munger 13, Waihape-Andrews 8)