East Spotlight | CoE overcome Hickey and Spiders

Featured image: @DiscoveryOne_Photography, Greg Francis

It was a good test for the Centre of Excellence up against NBL star Davo Hickey and they were up for the challenge with the 70-60 NBL1 East win to improve to an 11-1 record for the season.

Both teams came into the match up at the Australian Institute of Sport coming off wins on Saturday with the CoE beating the Norths Bears by 26 points while the Spiders handed the defending champion Canberra Gunners a first loss of 2026.

That meant both teams were feeling good about themselves coming into the match up but the CoE did work on top early and never surrendered the advantage event though Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai had pulled back within four by three quarter-time.

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The Centre of Excellence continued to have all the answers to end up winning by 10 points to make seven wins in-a-row and to improve to 11-1 on the season with the Spiders now 2-9 after splitting their double header weekend against two top teams.

The major difference in the finish was the CoE going 17/24 at the free-throw line to just 3/6 from Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai while the winners did also only have six turnovers to the Spiders' 17 although the visitors pulled down 18 offensive rebounds to just six.

It was another impressive all-round performance from the Centre of Excellence with NBL Next Star Luke Paul delivering 19 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals including a massive late dunk to help secure the win.

Jai Fa'ale continued his impressive form with 16 points, six rebounds and four assists with Alex Dickson adding 10 points and two steals, and Ajak Nyuon eight points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots.

Davo Hickey finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai on a rollercoaster afternoon that saw him shoot 77/19 from the floor and have seven turnovers along the way.

Harry Evans also had 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks for the Spiders, Jackson Smyth 12 points, and Alex Sidhu four points with nine rebounds and two assists.

Both teams had played on Saturday and both were victorious to add some added intrigue to the Sunday match up with the Centre of Excellence shooting out of the blocks with the opening nine points of the game.

The CoE went on from there to be leading 21-16 by quarter-time despite eight points and seven rebounds from Davo Hickey for the Spiders.

Hickey added another five points and two rebounds in the second quarter too, but Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai only managed another 13 points with the Centre of Excellence adding 19 on the way to the 40-29 advantage by half-time.

The CoE were shooting at 43 per cent to 35 from the Spiders while the home team went 9/12 at the foul line to 2/4, and they forced Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai into the 10 turnovers for the half.

The lead for the Centre of Excellence was out to 12 early in the second half but Hornsby then worked back into the contest with six straight points and by three quarter-time the lead for CoE was back to just 51-47.

The game was up for grabs heading into three quarter-time but was all the Centre of Excellence in the final period with 19 points to 13 on the way to the eventual 10-point win as they improve to 11-1 on the season.

The Centre of Excellence will now be at home to the Newcastle Falcons on Saturday with the Spiders not playing again until being at home to the Canberra Gunners next Sunday.

NBL1 EAST 2026 SEASON | ROUND 8

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE 70 (Paul 19, Fa'ale 16, Dickeson 10)

HORNSBY KU-RING-GAI SPIDERS 60 (Hickey 18, Evans 13, Smyth 12)