West Spotlight | Walker fires Cougars past Flames

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The battle for top spot in the NBL1 West suddenly got a whole lot more interesting with Cierra Walker hitting five second half threes as the Cockburn Cougars overpowered the Rockingham Flames to win 75-69.

The two teams played out a cracking Grand Final in 2024 at RAC Arena with the Flames finishing strongly to claim the championship but the Cougars beat them twice in 2025 including to open the playoffs on the way to claiming a second title in the past three years.

Then coming into the Friday night match up at Wally Hagan Stadium occupying the top two positions and looking to make a statement, and it was a nervous start from both teams with the defences taking over.

They combined for just 32 points in the first quarter and 25 in the second with Rockingham going into half-time leading 32-25 with 38 per cent shooting to 26 despite missing all 10 three-point attempts while the Cougars were going 2/20.

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That included Cierra Walker going 0/4 from three in the first half, but she went 3/6 in the third quarter and hit another 2/3 in the last term to be instrumental in the Cougars outscoring the Flames 50 to 37 in the second.

Cockburn ended up winning by six to improve to a 10-2 record with Rockingham now 11-3 to significantly heat up the race over top spot.

Walker finished the night going 5/13 from deep for 16 points with six rebounds, two assists and two steals while Daniel Raber added 16 points, 14 boards, four steals and two assists.

Jewel Williams also had 15 points, four rebounds and two assists, Jessie Edwards 10 points, three boards, three assists and two blocks, and Darcee Garbin nine points and two steals.

The Flames ended up shooting just 3/23 from downtown while having 20 turnovers, but that was without Amy Atwell who hasn’t returned just yet after winning silver at the 3x3 World Cup with the Australian Gangurrus.

Sara Puckett did finish with another 23 points, nine rebounds and two assists including having five of her team's 16 offensive boards.

Stef Berberabe added 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals, Teige Morrell 10 points, nine boards, two assists and two steals, Lesila Finau 10 points, six rebounds and three assists, and Tiana Wilson-Palmer nine points and three boards.

The top two teams currently and the combatants of the 2024 Grand Final locked horns in a tantalising match up on Friday night and it was Rockingham who put the clamps on Cockburn in the first quarter.

The Cougars managed just the 13 points on 5/17 shooting including 1/10 from deep while the Flames put up 20 points with 14 of those combined from Sara Puckett and Stef Berberabe while they were shooting 8/15 to lead while overcoming having seven turnovers.

The lead for Rockingham got out to 12 points in the second quarter too with the two teams only combining for the 25 points with the Flames shooting just 6/22 from the field and the Cougars 4/18.

That saw the Flames leading 32-25 by half-time but the Cougars turned the tide in the third quarter and it all started with Cierra Walker shaking off a rough first half to hit three triples in the term.

Cockburn ended up putting up 24 points to 17 as a result and by three quarter-time the scores were all locked together at 49-49.

The Cougars then kept that momentum going with 26 points to 20 in the fourth term on the way to leading by as much as 13 and going on to win by six to have still not lost to the Flames since the 2024 Grand Final.

The Flames now don't play again until taking on the East Perth Eagles at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre next Saturday night while the Cougars are back home to host the Lakeside Lightning next Friday.

NBL1 WEST 2026 SEASON | ROUND 12

COCKBURN COUGARS 75 (Walker 16, Raber 16, Williams 15)

ROCKINGHAM FLAMES 69 (Puckett 23, Berberabe 12, Finau 10, Morrell 10)