Round Seven of the NBL1 East has arrived, with a weekend of road games set to take place for the CoE.
BA CoE 72 – 36 Penrith (W)
The CoE women completed a dominant road double-header, dismantling the Penrith Panthers 72 – 36 in a ruthless display at Hawkesbury Indoor Stadium to make it back-to-back wins on the weekend.
Aspen Crase was sharp from the opening tip, finishing with 14 points on 50% shooting, five rebounds and two steals to lead the way with a game-high +26. Eliza Shanahan was equally impressive in her first start of the weekend, matching Crase's 14 points on 46% from the field.
Isabel Smith added 12 points while Jay Sebasio was outstanding across the board with 10 points, nine rebounds and three steals off the bench. Jemyma Manyok and Lily Mapp were relentless on the glass, combining for 21 rebounds between them.
Penrith were never able to find any sustained rhythm, with the CoE defence suffocating from the outset. The visitors led 16 – 7 after the first quarter and never looked back, pushing the advantage to 34 – 16 at halftime.
The third quarter was the CoE's most dominant of the afternoon, holding the Panthers to just three points as the margin ballooned to 49 – 19 heading into the final term. A 23 – 17 final quarter rounded out a comprehensive performance and sealed a 36-point victory.
CoE 91 – 72 Penrith (M)
The CoE men made it back-to-back road victories, rolling past the Penrith Panthers 91 – 72 in a composed and commanding performance at Hawkesbury Indoor Stadium.
Captain Alex Dickeson set the tone from the opening tip, finishing with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists while going a perfect four-from-four at the line — all to a game-best +24. Jai Fa'ale was once again relentless as a scoring threat, pouring in 18 points on 55% shooting to back up his performance from the day prior.
Antonio Browne was excellent in his role with 13 points and five assists, while Curtis Evic provided a massive spark off the bench with nine points, seven rebounds and a +25 to lead all players.
Penrith drew first blood, racing out to a 23 – 20 lead after the first quarter with Brodie Schwarzer a constant danger early. The CoE found their rhythm in the second, responding with a 24 – 16 term to lead 44 – 39 at the break.
The third quarter saw the gap continue to grow as Dickeson and Fa'ale asserted their authority and the CoE defence tightened, holding the Panthers to just 14 points. A controlled 25 – 19 final quarter put the result beyond doubt and sent the 'Tuters home with a convincing 19-point victory.
CoE 88 – 69 Hills (M)
The CoE men made it a perfect double-header sweep at Hills Basketball Stadium, running out commanding 88 – 69 winners in the nightcap of Round 7.
Jai Fa'ale was again a primary option, finishing with 18 points on 50% shooting to go with four assists and two steals. Alex Dickeson was immense on both ends, posting 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds to anchor the CoE interior.
William Hamilton shot the lights out from deep, draining three triples on his way to 13 points, while Jongkuch Mach was ruthlessly efficient off the bench with 12 points on 67% from the field.
The CoE came out with intent from the opening tip, outscoring Hills 21 – 12 in the first quarter before blowing the game open with a dominant 32 – 14 second term to lead 53 – 26 at the half.
Hills showed some fight in the third, outscoring the visitors 26 – 12 to make things slightly more interesting heading into the final period. But the CoE were never threatened, closing the game out with a composed 23 – 17 final quarter to seal the road victory in style.
CoE 87 – 76 Hills (W)
The CoE women grinded out a hard-fought road victory over Hills to take the points 87 – 76 in a competitive Round 7 clash at Hills Basketball Stadium.
It was the captain who led the charge, with Zara Russell producing a commanding all-round display to steer her side through a tough contest. Russell finished with 22 points on 56% shooting, four assists and three steals to go with a dominant +18 on the floor.
Isabel Smith was equally efficient, knocking down 16 points on an impressive 78% from the field, while Aspen Crase chipped in with 11 points off the bench.
Hills came out firing to take an early 24 – 21 lead after the first quarter, putting pressure on the CoE defence in the opening term. The visitors steadied in the second, turning the tide with sharper ball movement and locking in defensively — outscoring the hosts 20 – 13 to lead at the half. The third quarter proved decisive.
CoE pushed the margin out to 66 – 55 heading into the final term, with Jemyma Manyok's 12 rebounds proving a constant source of second-chance opportunities. Hills made a late push but the CoE held firm to run out comfortable 11-point winners.
The CoE women’s team currently sit in fourth place whilst the men have climbed to third on the NBL1 East ladder, with the battle for ladder positioning heating up as we shift towards the pointy of the season.
Having split their results last weekend, the CoE women will set out to make a statement and return to the winners list with their record currently sitting at 6-2.
The CoE men’s side are budding with confidence at 7-1, with these two matchups serving as a chance to make it six straight wins and further improve their ladder positioning.
| Hills Hornets v Centre of Excellence (W) | ||
| 16 May | Hills Basketball Stadium | 4:15 pm AEST |
| Hills Hornets v Centre of Excellence (M) | ||
| 16 May | Hills Basketball Stadium | 6:15 pm AEST |
| Penrith Panthers v Centre of Excellence (M) | ||
| 17 May | Hawkesbury Indoor Stadium | 3:00 pm AEST |
| Penrith Panthers v Centre of Excellence (W) | ||
| 17 May | Hawkesbury Indoor Stadium | 5:00 pm AEST |
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View the remaining fixtures of the NBL1 East season here.
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