East Spotlight | Panthers snap 10-game losing run

Featured image: @slashersau

Both teams had a combined 3-25 record this NBL1 East coming into their Sunday match up and it was the Penrith Panthers who snapped their 10-game losing run with the 70-57 home win over the Central Coast Crusaders.

The Panthers hadn’t won since beating the Inner West Bulls back on April 11 and came into Sunday's clash at Minto Indoor Sports Centre on an 11-game losing run while the Crusaders arrived having lost their past two and just two wins from 15 games in 2026.

Penrith then had just the seven points in the first quarter but then got going from there with 63 points over the last three quarters while holding Central Coast to 11 points in the first quarter, 10 in the second and 14 in the third.

That was enough for the Panthers to end up securing the 13-point victory to improve to a 2-12 record with the Crusaders having lost four straight to be 2-14.

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As the Panthers snapped their 10-game losing run, they ended up shooting just 31 per cent from the field and8/29 from long-range, but they were effective getting to the line and shooing 24/33 of their foul shots.

While Penrith did have 23 turnovers, they were able to force Central Coast into 29 of them and in the end even with 25 offensive rebounds, the Crusaders were never really in the contest with 28 per cent shooting and going 1/20 from behind the three-point arc.

As the Panthers celebrated a first win since April 11, Sofia Hunt delivered 19 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists with 10/11 free-throw shooting.

Tatiana Beaumont also delivered 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists, Meleke Jenkins 14 points, five boards and three assists, Chanel Bastin 13 points and four steals, and Lauren Martin six points, five rebounds and three steals.

The Crusaders couldn’t grab their chance at a third win of the season with Jess Stone top scoring with 11 points and six rebounds with Nikki Worner adding 10 points and five boards, Cushla Alpen 10 points and eight rebounds, and Leila Hefferman nine points, six steals, four rebounds and three assists.

Tristan Black also ended up with nine points and 18 rebounds eight of those at the offensive end.

Given both teams' struggles, it was no surprised that it wasn’t quite an awe-inspiring start to the contest as they combined for just the 18 points in the opening quarter with Central Coast leading 11-7 by quarter-time.

The Crusaders shot 4/19 from the field in that first 10 minutes while the Panthers went 3/15 with both teams racking up eight turnovers at the same time.

Central Coast only had another 10 points on 3/21 shooting in the second quarter too along with another six turnovers but Penrith found a bit of a groove with 19 points while going 8/11 at the foul line.

Tatiana Beaumont was up to 10 points and Sofia Hunt nine going into half-time for the Panthers before they continued that momentum with another 26 points to 14 in the third quarter to open up a 19-point lead.

Penrith ended up leading by as much as 22 points in the last quarter too before securing the 13-point victory to snap their 11-game losing slide.

The Panthers will now try and make it consecutive wins with them away to the Newcastle Falcons next Sunday while the Crusaders will look for a win when they travel to the Maitland Mustangs on Saturday.

NBL1 EAST 2026 SEASON | ROUND 11

PENRITH PANTHERS 70 (Hunt 19, Beaumont 16, Jenkins 16)

CENTRAL COAST CRUSADERS 57 (Stone 11, Alpen 10, Worner 10)