National Finals | Heal stays hot for Bruins

Featured image: Dan Cowley | @imagesby_dan

The Bankstown Bruins and Warwick Senators had two of the premier NBL1 back courts in the nation but it the NBL1 East champions who have theirs together at the National Finals and Shyla Heal starred in the first up 72-50 win in Adelaide.

You could make a case that Bankstown and Warwick had the two best starting back courts in the entire NBL1, at least when it comes to locals, and that saw them lead their respective teams to championships last weekend.

Heal teamed with Tahlia Tupaea to take Bankstown to the NBL1 East championship against the defending champion Manly Warringah Sea Eagles while Chloe Forster and Jayda Clark starred as the Senators knocked off reigning NBL1 West champions the Cockburn Cougars.

The Bruins arrived at the National Final at full strength but it wasn’t the case for the Senators with Forster getting a well earned break before heading back to Townsville for the WNBL season while Clark is off to college.

Kiara Waite was also unavailable for Warwick as was coach Brad Robbins who is in India with the Australian Emus at the Asia Cup while retiring five-time championship winner Nat Burton's not ended early with a lower leg injury.

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Bankstown's aggressive nature of getting inside the paint was important in their NBL1 East triumph including Tahlia Tupaea going 19/19 at the foul line in the Grand Final and they went 8/8 as a team in the first quarter.

That saw the Bruins leading 21-16 by quarter-time even with Greta Kampschroeder doing her best to make up for the absences for the Senators with eight points.

Bankstown did push out to a 14-point lead in the second term but Warwick did fight back and Kyana Weir was up to nine points by half-time but the Bruins were still on top 37-29 with Heal having 14 points herself.

The Bruins then took total control in the third quarter with 22 points to 10 to blow the margin out to as much as 26, and they would end up winning by 22 in the finish.

Bankstown did end up shooting slightly better at 38 per cent to 30 along with 9/29 from the outside to 3/23, and 11/16 to 7/9 at the foul line along with collecting 17 offensive rebounds to 12, and forcing Warwick into 19 turnovers.

It was another standout performance for the Bruins from Shyla Heal with 22 points and eight assists with 4/9 shooting from the outside.

French import Margot De Freitas also had 16 points, five rebounds and four steals, and Shalome Dunlop 12 points including a halfcourt heave to beat the shot clock for one of her two three-point makes.

Tahlia Tupaea also had seven points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals, and co-captain Kiahna Davis-White four points and 13 rebounds.

It was a tough outing for Warwick without Chloe Forster, Jayda Clark, Kiara Waite and then Nat Burton inside the opening three minutes while Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard had a tough shooting night going 1/11 from the outside for five points, six steals and five rebounds.

Kyana Weir top scored with 18 points and two assists with Greta Kampschroeder adding 10 points and 12 rebounds, and Katie Cummins five points and two boards.

NBL1 NATIONALS FINALS 2026 | DAY 1

BANKSTOWN BRUINS 72 (Heal 22, De Freitas 16, S Dunlop 12)

WARWICK SENATORS 50 (Weir 18, Kampschroeder 10, Cummins 5, Clinch Hoycard 5)