West Spotlight | Suns beat Redbacks to stay alive

Featured image: Deacon Matthews | @deacs.jpg

The Kalamunda Eastern Suns breathed further life into their NBL1 West playoff aspirations despite a seven-point fourth quarter to beat Perth Redbacks 68-64 on 21 points and seven rebounds from Gaby Bronson.

The teams came into the clash at Ray Owen Sports Centre on the outside of the top eight but still right in touch heightening the stakes with the Redbacks starting well away from home after a loss in Albany in dramatic fashion to the Perry Lakes Hawks last Saturday.

The Suns were coming off a big home win on Sunday to the Goldfields Giants but it was the Redbacks up 27-18 by quarter-time with 13 points to Sam Ashby before the home team took over.

Kalamunda outscored Perth 43-23 over the second and third quarters with 17/42 shooting to 8/28 including pulling down 14 offensive rebounds and forcing the Redbacks into 11 turnovers.

But the Redbacks held the Suns to seven points in the fourth quarter and gave themselves a chance but the home team held on to win by four to improve to 6-12 on the season with Perth now 6-10.

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Despite the Redbacks getting to the foul line to go to 20/25 to the 7/16 from the Eastern Suns, the home team ended up on top in most other areas including shooting slighting better at 36 per cent to 32 along with having 21 offensive rebounds and forcing Perth into 19 turnovers.

Gaby Bronson ended up the star of the night for the Eastern Suns with 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals with 8/16 field goal shooting and 3/5 at the free-throw line.

Trista Hull also produced 16 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals with Emma Strelein contributing seven points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals, and Kayla Kiriau seven points and three assists.

Sam Ashby was on fire early with 13 points in the first quarter for the Redbacks on her way to 19 for the game with nine rebounds, five assists and three steals with 8/9 free-throw shooting.

Patty Brossmann added 11 points, six rebounds and three assists, Nyamer Diew 11 points two boards and two assists, Olivia Berry nine points and two rebounds, and Sophie Doran eight points, four boards and two assists.

Both teams came into the Friday night match up trying to stay in the finals mix and it was the Redbacks away from home and returning from Albany who put up 27 points to 18 in the first quarter.

Sam Ashby scored 13 of those points herself with Perth shooting 3/6 from beyond the arc to the 0/6 from the Suns.

Kalamunda completely flipped the proceedings in the second quarter with 22 points on the back of shooting 9/22 while the Redbacks only managed 10 points on 4/13 shooting with six turnovers and with Ashby not adding to their 13 points.

The Eastern Suns kept that momentum rolling into the third quarter with another 21 points on 8/20 shooting while the Redbacks went 4/15 for just 13 points.

That saw the Suns lead get out to 61-50 by three quarter-time before the Redbacks tried to mount a fightback but they scored just the 14 points in the last quarter which wasn’t enough to make up the 11-point gap even with the home team managing just seven points on 3/17 shooting.

The Eastern Suns now don't play again until being on the road to the South West Slammers next Friday night while the Redbacks play host to the East Perth Eagles on Saturday night.

NBL1 WEST 2026 SEASON | FIRST NATIONS ROUND

KALAMUNDA EASTERN SUNS 68 (Bronson 21, Hull 16, Strelein 7, Kiriau 7)

PERTH REDBACKS 64 (Ashby 19, Diew 11, Brossmann 11)