South Finals | Shuyu lifts Tigers into qualifying finals

Featured image: @xnp_photography

Chinese superstar Yang Shuyu delighted her adoring fans once again who turned out in droves as she put up 26 points to lead the Melbourne Tigers to the 75-61 home NBL1 South elimination final victory against the Mount Gambier Pioneers.

The atmosphere inside Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre was once again electric with plenty of them on hand to watch Shuyu and fellow Chinese gun Mingling Chen action who was celebrating her 26th birthday.

They earned home court advantage in the elimination final by ending the regular season in eighth spot to play host to the Pioneers with only one win separating them by the end of the 22 matches.

Melbourne made the fast start riding the passion of their home crowd with 23 points to 12 in the first quarter while shooting 11/19 to the 4/17 from the Pioneers with both Shuyu and Hannah Giddey scoring eight points each.

>> SOUTH WRAP | WOMEN'S ROUND 15

Mount Gambier turned things around in the second frame with a 10-0 run on the way to outscoring them 24 points to eight and that saw the Pioneers go into the half-time break with the 36-31 advantage away from home.

Shuyu then lit up MSAC like only she can in the third quarter and she was up to 19 points by three quarter-time but it was still a tight contest and the Tigers were just clinging to the 53-52 advantage.

Melbourne then took control for good to end up with a 14-0 run in the fourth quarter to go from a two-point lead following a three-pointer from Abby Prohaska to leading by 16 by the time Giddey scored again inside the last 20 seconds.

The Tigers went on to complete the 14-point victory having finished the game scoring 16 of the last 18 points to now keep their season alive and set up a qualifying final on Saturday night away to the defending champion Knox Raiders who finished on top and are on a 13-game winning streak.

Yang Shuyu was once again the star for Melbourne with 26 points, six rebounds and three assists with 11/15 shooting from the field and 4/8 from the outside.

Hannah Giddey added 15 points, four rebounds and two assists, birthday girl Chen Mingling 13 points, four boards, four assists, two steals and two blocks and Isa Brancatisano 11 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.

A season for the Pioneers that started with five straight wins and then included another four-game winning run just after the halfway mark sees them now bow out in the opening weekend of the finals.

Tilly Boler top scored for Mount Gambier with 15 points and four rebounds while Abby Prohaska added 12 points and eight boards, Lara Edmanson 12 points, four rebounds and two steals, Kelsey Rees 11 points and nine rebounds, and Carla Pitman 13 rebounds to go with five assists, four steals and four points.

NBL1 SOUTH 2026 SEASON | ELIMINATION FINAL

MELBOURNE TIGERS 75 (Shuyu 26, Giddey 15, Mingling 13)

MOUNT GAMBIER PIONEERS 61 (Boler 15, Edmanson 12, Prohaska 12)