28
Apr
East Women
Shelley dominates as Norths extend unbeaten run
Norths Bears guard Jaz Shelley starred with 30 points, eight rebounds, four assists and seven steals in a dominant win over Sydney Comets. Photo: Rob Sheeley/@robshots
Jaz Shelley dominates, Hornsby win OT thriller as NBL1 East women's race tightens at the top
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Norths Bears maintained their unbeaten start while Hornsby Ku-ring-gai delivered one of the games of the season, edging Maitland in overtime as the 2026 East women's ladder begins to separate between contenders and the chasing pack.
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Spiders 91 def. Maitland Mustangs 90 (OT) – Watch the Replay
- Quarter Scores: 25–19, 26–30, 16–12, 15–21, 9–8
- Largest Lead: Hornsby by 7
- Hornsby moved to 3–2 after an overtime finish
Hornsby survived a late Maitland surge and held composure in overtime to secure a one-point win in the tightest contest of the round.
Ruby Perkins led with 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, controlling key possessions late. Ay’Anna Bey added 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Kristina Moore contributed 16 in a balanced offensive effort.
Hornsby shot 47.1% from the field and generated 17 assists, finding enough scoring depth to respond each time Maitland made a push.
Maitland were led by Shakera Reilly with 25 points, including six threes, while Kasey Neubert added 17 points and nine rebounds. The Mustangs shot 41.4% from three but couldn’t close the game in regulation or overtime.
By the Numbers
FG%: 47.1–40.0% │ Assists: 17–21 │ Rebounds: 48–39 (Hornsby)
Norths Bears 70 def. Sydney Comets 59 – Watch the Replay
- Quarter Scores: 21–17, 7–8, 17–14, 25–20
- Largest Lead: Norths by 19
- Norths improved to 7–0 and remain unbeaten
Norths controlled the game through defensive pressure and second-half execution to extend their perfect start.
Jaz Shelley led with 30 points, eight rebounds, four assists and seven steals, impacting both ends across heavy minutes. Talya Brugler added 14 points and nine rebounds, while Isabelle Morgan contributed 13 with six steals and interior presence.
Norths forced 20 steals and limited Sydney to 38.9% shooting, disrupting rhythm and controlling tempo across the contest.
Sydney were led by Eryn Fisher with 20 points and Alexandria Oliver with 14, but struggled to generate consistent offence under pressure.
By the Numbers
FG%: 25.9–39.0% (Sydney edge) │ Steals: 20–9 (Norths) │ Rebounds: 47–52
Other Results
- Bankstown Bruins def. Sydney Comets 94–86
- Hills Hornets def. Central Coast Crusaders 81–54
- Inner West Bulls lost to Bankstown Bruins 99–43
- Newcastle Falcons def. Centre of Excellence 71–65
- Sutherland Sharks def. Illawarra Hawks 80–50
- Manly Warringah Sea Eagles def. Albury-Wodonga Bandits 94–86
- Canberra Nationals def. Penrith Panthers 73–52
Ladder Snapshot
- Norths Bears (7–0) remain unbeaten at No.1
- Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (6–0) stay perfect in second
- Newcastle Falcons (4–1) sit third
- Centre of Excellence, Sutherland Sharks (3–1) remain in the mix
Round 5 Watchlist
- Can anyone challenge Norths or Manly?
- Are Newcastle emerging as the strongest challenger?
- Which mid-tier team breaks into finals position?
- Can Hornsby build off their overtime win?
Key Games – Round 6
- Norths Bears vs Newcastle Falcons
- Centre of Excellence vs Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
- Bankstown Bruins vs Sutherland Sharks
Round 6 Questions
- Are Norths clear title favourites at 7–0?
- Can Manly match them deep into the season?
- Which team separates from the middle pack?
- Can Maitland convert close games into wins?
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