West Spotlight | Malone fires to keep Eagles unbeaten

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At the same time Anneli Maley was making history, former Perth Redbacks star Brooke Malone caught fire in the third quarter to help keep the East Perth Eagles unbeaten this NBL1 West season, defeating the Warwick Senators 85-80.

As the Eagles did battle with the Senators, Maley was making history with the Redbacks in their win against the Willetton Tigers setting a new NBL1 single game record with 65 points along with her 17 rebounds and five rebounds.

It was the battle of undefeated teams at Warwick Stadium on Friday night and just to add to the occasion it was the first time returning as visitors as head coach and captain at the Eagles for Jonelle Morley and Stacey Barr.

They were key parts of the Senators winning both the NBL1 West and NBL1 National championships in 2022 so that only added to the night with each team having won their first two games of the season in impressive fashion.

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It was just a one-point lead for the Eagles at the half but they made their move in the third quarter and Malone was key to that with three bombs from downtown in quick succession.

From there East Perth were able to hold on for the five-point win to improve to 3-0 on the season with two-time championship winner and MVP contender Sarah Mortensen still to come in.

The Eagles are now just one of three teams left undefeated in the women's competition for 2026 with Brooke Malone having an especially big third quarter on her way to 24 points, six rebounds and three assists with 6/11 shooting from three-point land.

Jasmin Fejo has been tremendous to start her career with the Eagles and had another 20 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals while Stacey Barr returned to her old home court with 18 points, five assists and three rebounds.

Jade Williams played her best NBL1 game with 11 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and two steals while Sydney Wright scored 10 points.

Coming off her WNBL season at the UC Capitals, Jayda Clark showed why she was a prime recruiting target from Brad Robbins to join WNBL championship winner Chloe Forster and the Perth Lynx's Kyana Weir in the Warwick back court.

Clark produced a standout performance all night for the Senators with 30 points, eight rebounds, five blocked shots and two assists while making 5/6 from behind the three-point line.

Forster was made to work for everything all night by East Perth but still had 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists with Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard producing nine points, six boards and three assists, and Nat Burton nine points, nine rebounds and two assists.

Kiara Waite had six points in her 16 minutes before her night was ended early after taking a knock to the head.

The two undefeated teams played out a defensive grind of a first quarter with Jayda Clark's 10 points helping the Senators to the 19-15 lead by quarter-time despite shooting just 35 per cent from the floor opposed to the 33 from East Perth.

But seven offensive rebounds to two in favour of the Senators helped them get up an extra five shots and to take the narrow lead.

Clark added another eight points to go into half-time with 18 points for Warwick with 3/4 three-point shooting, but the Senators worked on top with 20 points to 15 in the second term for the 35-34 advantage at the break.

Former Senators championship star and captain Stacey Barr was warming nicely on her former home floor with 14 points and 3/6 shooting from deep even if both teams only combined to shoot 9/34 from behind the arc – and 3/24 if you take out Clark and Barr.

Brooke Malone was then the one that inspired the Senators to take over the game in the third quarter and build a lead as large as 12 points before still leading by nine at three quarter-time.

Things still got tight in the fourth period and when Clark hit her fourth three-pointer of the night, the Senators were back within six with 2:30 to play.

Kyana Weir scored soon after to make it a five-point game and then Clark nailed a fifth triple and the margin was four with a minute to go but ultimately the Senators couldn’t make that one more shot to get it to a one possession game and Jasmin Fejo sealed the win at the line for East Perth.

It's the lone game of the round for both teams with the Senators next in action on the road to the Perth Redbacks next Friday while the Eagles remain on the road to the Joondalup Wolves that same evening.

NBL1 WEST 2026 SEASON | ROUND 3

WARWICK SENATORS 80 (Clark 30, Forster 19, Burton 9, Clinch Hoycard 9)

EAST PERTH EAGLES 85 (Malone 24, Fejo 20, Barr 18)