West Spotlight | Eagles claim tense OT battle with Senators

Featured image: Mark Filpo (@codexdesignstudio)

Clutch Nat Burton free throws after yet another offensive rebound saw the Warwick Senators come from 14 points down in the last quarter to force overtime but the East Perth Eagles led by Stacey Barr pulled away again to prevail 100-94 in NBL1 West.

It was already the second time the two teams have met this season with the Eagles having handed the Senators their lone loss of 2026 at Warwick Stadium back in Round 3.

The return encounter at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre took place on Friday and with both teams coming into the match up on 4-1 records, it was always going to be a fascinating battle.

East Perth have added Sarah Mortensen since Round 3 but lost Jasmin Fejo to a season-ending knee injury, and with former Senators championship coach Jonelle Morley and MVP winner Barr at the Eagles, there was some natural added feeling.

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The Eagles did lead most of the night including by as much as 18 early in the third quarter and then again by 14 in the fourth, but the Senators stormed back and a huge late three from Chloe Forster, and then the free throws to Burton saw the game to overtime.

That's when East Perth took over once again with 16 points to 10 in the extra five minutes to score the six-point win and make it a pair of victories against the Senators as they improve to 5-1 to start the season.

The Eagles remained undefeated at home with Stacey Barr clearly motivated against their former team. She finished with 25 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals with 5/11 shooting from long-range.

Two-time championship winner Sarah Mortensen also put up 22 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals for East Perth with Brooke Malone adding 20 points and three rebounds.

Sydney Wright also had 18 points, seven assists and four rebounds, Jade Williams 10 points, 10 boards and two assists, and Zaya Black five points, three steals and two assists.

It's a second loss of the season for Warwick with both coming at the expense of East Perth with Chloe Forster having a tough shooting night but still delivering 24 points and 10 assists while going 8/26 from the field and 2/11 from beyond the arc.

Jayda Clark added 19 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals, Nat Burton 13 points, 10 boards, two assists and two steals, Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard 11 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Kyana Weir 11 points, two board and two assists in her 100th NBL1 West game.

The two teams had lost just once each coming into the match up and had played a terrific battle with one another only back in Round 3, and there was every reason to suggest more of the same this time around.

The Eagles had the better of the opening term on their home floor with superstar pair Stacey Barr and Sarah Mortensen combining for 14 points for their team to be leading 22-15 on the back of shooting 42 per cent from the floor to 30.

The East Perth lead then continued to grow throughout the second quarter and by half-time it was a 15-point advantage with the Eagles shooting a little better going 47 per cent to the 33 from the Senators along with 5/13 from behind the three-point arc to 2/15.

A triple to start the second half saw East Perth's lead out to a game-high 18 points but then Warwick began to work back into the contest and by three quarter-time were only trailing by nine points again.

The Eagles managed to go up 14 again early in the fourth on the back of back-to-back triples from Barr and Mortensen, but then the Senators made their move starting with a three-pointer to Jayda Clark.

She hit another soon after before Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard hit from downtown too, and suddenly with five minutest to play it was just a six-point ball game.

East Perth were still clinging to a six-point lead with two minutes left and then by five when Mortensen made a free-throw with 45 seconds to go.

The offensive rebounds were keeping on giving Warwick chance after chance with them pulling down eight of them in the last quarter, and on the back of a three ball from Chloe Forster, it was Nat Burton fouled after a string of massive o-boards.

The Olympian stepped up to make both at the stripe to send the game into overtime and Warwick did have all the momentum going into the extra time.

Clark fouled out, though, early in overtime for Warwick and East Perth were able to find their mojo again to pile on 16 points in those five minutes to secure the six-point win and make it two straight against the Senators this year and to stay undefeated at home in 2026.

The Eagles now don't play until taking on the Eastern Suns on the road next Saturday night while the Senators have the short turnaround to hosting the Rockingham Flames this Saturday.

NBL1 WEST 2026 SEASON | ROUND 6

EAST PERTH EAGLES 100 (Barr 25, Mortensen 22, Malone 20)

WARWICK SENATORS 94 (Forster 24, Clark 19, Burton 13)