East Spotlight | Heal's 37 lifts Bruins over Comets

Featured image: @flicksby.tessa

Mikaya Pirini and Eryn Fisher kept fighting valiantly for the Sydney Comets but ultimately the 37 points first up this NBL1 East season from Shyla Heal was too much as the Bankstown Bruins prevailed 94-86.

Both teams came into the Friday night match up on Anzac Day eve with 2-2 records but the Bruins welcomed in Heal for the first time in 2026 after her WNBL season at the Geelong Venom and her seven-game stint last year where they were undefeated with her.

She took a backseat in the first quarter with Margot De Freitas putting up 14 points before Heal had 13 in the second on her way to 37 in the game, but they could never quite shake the Comets.

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Even though Bankstown built a 15-point lead on several occasions in the second half, Sydney kept on fighting even in the absence of Chantel Horvat before the Bruins secured the eight-point win to improve to a 3-2 record with the Comets now 2-3.

Heal might not have played since her last WNBL game with Geelong Venom back on February 7, but showed no signs whatsoever of rust with 37 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

She shot 15/19 from the floor at a stunning 79 per cent, 4/7 from downtown and 3/4 at the free-throw line with the Bruins +13 in her 35 minutes.

De Freitas had 14 of her 16 points in the first quarter to go with 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Kiahna Davis-White also had 12 points and six rebounds, Tahlia Tupaea 10 points and seven assists, and Davida Dale six points, three rebounds and three assists.

It was always going to be tough for the Comets to match the firepower of the Bruins with Horvat still out injured but they did their best to mount a second half fightback before slipping to a 2-3 record.

Not only did Mikayla Pirini have the job of guarding Heal for a lot of the night, but also took on extra offensive responsibility to finish with 24 points, nine assists and six rebounds with 5/10 three-point shooting.

Eryn Fisher had a big second half to end up with 18 points and nine rebounds on 6/11 shooting from the field and 6/8 at the stripe with Alexandra Kayrouz adding 14 points, two assists and two steals.

Shyla Heal might have been in for the first time in 2026 for the Bruins, but it was the Comets who made the fast start with Mikayla Pirini sparking them to an early 7-0 run and the six-point lead.

Then it wasn't Heal that too over for Bankstown, but it was Margot De Freitas who put up 14 points in the first quarter with 5/7 shooting to help the Bruins to the 23-22 lead by quarter-time.

Heal still added eight points with 2/3 from downtown while Pirini also had eight and four assists with 2/4 long-range shooting for Sydney.

Heal did catch fire in the second quarter and put up 13 points with only one of those shots coming from deep and on the back of her efforts the Bruins put up 32 points to 23 to head into the half-time break leading 55-43.

Pirini did have 16 points on 4/7 three-point shooting to the half for the Comets but she needed more help if they were to stick with Bankstown.

That's exactly what the Comets got in the third quarter and it was Eryn Fisher who stepped up and by three quarter-time she had 14 points and eight rebounds to her name, and the lead for the Bruins was back to just seven heading into the fourth.

The Comets kept themselves in the contest in the final term too but could never quite get close enough to strike with the Bruins holding on for the eight-point win to improve to 3-2 and to remain perfect this season and last with Heal in the line-up.

Both teams back up now to play on Anzac Day with the Bruins on the road to the winless Inner West Bulls while the Comets host the undefeated Norths Bears at Comets Stadium.

NBL1 EAST 2026 SEASON | ANZAC ROUND

BANKSTOWN BRUINS 94 (Heal 37, De Freitas 16, Davis-White 12)

SYDNEY COMETS 86 (Pirini 24, Fisher 18, Kayrouz 14)