National Finals | Sabres finish on winning note

Featured image: Dan Cowley | @imagesby_dan

The Sturt Sabres were able to finish their NBL1 Central championship winning season on a triumphant note at the NBL1 National Finals with Paige Padroth and Meg Prosser combining for 53 points in the 97-74 win over the Warwick Senators.

Both teams suffered first up losses in Adelaide at the National Finals on Friday against the Knox Raiders and Bankstown Bruins respectively meaning it was just pride on the line come Saturday afternoon.

Sturt had still kept much of their championship team together from two weeks ago despite the absence of superstar Tayla Brazel and then also got to play in front of a home crowd for one last time in 2026.

Warwick already arrived in Adelaide without their own star back court Chloe Forster and Jayda Clark along with WNBL forward Kiara Waite, but then lost retiring five-time championship winner Nat Burton to injury in the opening minutes of Friday's loss to Bankstown.

Add in that head coach Brad Robbins is with the Australian Emus at the Asia Cup in India and the Senators were always likely to find the going tough, and that proved the case against the Sabres despite Kyana Weir and Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard still combining for 46 points and seven three-pointers.

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Sturt managed to open up a nine-point advantage in the first quarter and were still on top 26-23 by quarter-time before taking control further in the second frame with 25 points to 10.

That saw the Sabres leading 51-33 by half-time with Paige Padroth up to 17 points and Meg Prosser 12 with them shooting 45 per cent from the field to 31 from the Senators along with 9/15 from the outside to 4/14.

Warwick did fight hard and outscored Sturt 22 points to 18 in the third quarter before Sturt finished their memorable championship winning season on a strong note with another 28 points to 19 in the final term to complete the 23-point victory.

Sturt ended the game going 16/29 from the outside to 9/27 along with 15/23 from the foul line to 9/13 while also forcing Warwick into the 25 turnovers.

Paige Padroth delivered 30 points, four steals and three assists in the win for Sturt with 10/16 field goal shooting along with 4/6 from behind the arc and 6/11 at the free-throw line.

Meg Prosser also delivered 23 points and four assists with 7/8 three-point shooting with Zoe Walker-Roberts also having 10 points, six steals, five assists and four rebounds, and Nicola Mathews nine points, seven boards, seven assists and two steals.

Katia Stamatelopoulos also had eight points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals, and Liz Williamson six points, 10 boards and two blocked shots.

The Senators might have been significantly understrength but Kyana Weir stepped up without Chloe Forster and Jayda Clark in the back court for 25 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals with 4/8 three-point shooting despite the 11 turnovers.

Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard landed 3/8 from downtown for 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals with Greta Kampschroeder adding 17 points, eight boards, four steals and two assists.

NBL1 NATIONALS FINALS 2026 | DAY 2

STURT SABRES 97 (Padroth 30, Prosser 23, Z Walker-Roberts 10)

WARWICK SENATORS 74 (Weir 25, Clinch Hoycard 21, Kampschroeder 17)