'My Godfrey': Flames' Ryan lights up Magic for 31 points

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George Pearl, Marshawn Blackmon, Ryan Godfrey and Sharif Black set the tone for a high-scoring opening round of the 2026 NBL1 West Men's season, delivering standout offensive performances as teams pushed past 90 points and established early identity.

Across the weekend, decisive runs — particularly in second and third quarters — shaped results, while perimeter shooting and ball movement created separation. Round 1 revealed a clear early trend: scoring depth, efficiency and pace are already defining outcomes.

Round 1: Warwick Senators 92 def. Perry Lakes Hawks 82 – Men – March 26 at Warwick Stadium

George Pearl and Marshawn Blackmon combined for 59 points as Warwick Senators opened their NBL1 West Men season with a 92–82 win against Perry Lakes Hawks at Warwick Stadium on March 26.

Warwick built control in the first half, outscoring Perry Lakes 48–39, and maintained separation despite a late Hawks push in the fourth quarter.

Game Snapshot

• Quarter scores: Warwick 22–24, 26–15, 20–16, 24–27
• Warwick controlled the rebounds 48–41
• Warwick shot 47.9% from the field

Pearl led Warwick with 29 points, six rebounds and seven assists on 11-from-17 shooting, controlling the tempo and creating scoring opportunities.

Blackmon added 30 points on efficient shooting, while Brody England contributed nine points, six rebounds and three assists. Tyler Shand provided interior presence with six points, six rebounds and three blocks.

Cameron Huefner led all scorers with 36 points, adding six rebounds and four assists. Jack Kingswood contributed 14 points, while Andreas Grubisa added 12, but Perry Lakes struggled to convert consistently from the perimeter.

By the Numbers

George Pearl (WAR): 29 pts │ 6 reb │ 7 ast │ 11-from-17 FG
Marshawn Blackmon (WAR): 30 pts │ 6 reb
Cameron Huefner (PLH): 36 pts │ 6 reb │ 4 ast

Round 1: Cockburn Cougars 106 def. Perth Redbacks 84 – Men – March 27 at Belmont Oasis Leisure Centre

Josh Hunt led a high-powered Cockburn Cougars offence with 28 points as they defeated Perth Redbacks 106–84 in their NBL1 West Men opener on March 27.

Cockburn gained control in the third quarter, outscoring Perth 32–19 to break open a tight first half and create a decisive margin heading into the final period.

Game Snapshot

• Quarter scores: Perth 23–24, 30–28, 19–32, 12–22
• Cockburn controlled the rebounds 49–39
• Cockburn shot 48.7% from the field

Hunt was outstanding with 28 points on 8-from-12 shooting, including 4-from-5 from three, consistently stretching the defence and converting at the line.

Joseph Bradshaw recorded a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Harrison Fitzgerald added 17 points. Seva Chan contributed 12 points and six assists to keep the offence flowing.

Marshall Nelson led Perth with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Isaac Etter added 15 points on efficient shooting. Luke Phillips contributed 12 points and five assists, but Perth struggled to contain Cockburn’s scoring depth.

By the Numbers

Josh Hunt (COU): 28 pts │ 1 reb │ 2 ast │ 8-from-12 FG
Joseph Bradshaw (COU): 19 pts │ 11 reb
Marshall Nelson (PER): 19 pts │ 7 reb │ 2 ast

Round 1: Rockingham Flames 101 def. Mandurah Magic 87 – Men – March 27 at Mandurah Aquatic & Rec Centre

Ryan Godfrey and Blake Jones combined for 54 points as Rockingham Flames defeated Mandurah Magic 101–87 in their NBL1 West Men opener on March 27.

Rockingham took control early with a dominant first half, outscoring Mandurah 64–41, before maintaining their advantage despite a more competitive second half.

Game Snapshot

• Quarter scores: Rockingham 30–20, 34–21, 17–23, 20–23
• Rockingham shot 48.7% from the field
• Rockingham recorded 28 assists to 25

Godfrey led all scorers with 31 points, hitting 8-from-16 from three-point range, while adding four assists in a high-impact offensive performance.

Jones was outstanding with 23 points and 15 rebounds, while Emmett Naar controlled the game with 15 assists. Travis Durnin added 15 points to round out a balanced attack.

Lachlan Bertram led Mandurah with 29 points and 12 assists, while Jock Perry added 17 points and 10 rebounds. Ryan Blanchett contributed 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists, but Mandurah were unable to recover from the early deficit.

By the Numbers

Ryan Godfrey (ROC): 31 pts │ 1 reb │ 4 ast │ 8-from-16 3PT
Blake Jones (ROC): 23 pts │ 15 reb │ 3 ast
Lachlan Bertram (MAN): 29 pts │ 8 reb │ 12 ast

Round 1: Eastern Suns 92 def. Lakeside Lightning 87 – Men – March 27 at Ray Owen Sports Centre

Joe Cook-Green and Marley Sam scored 22 points apiece as Eastern Suns held off Lakeside Lightning 92–87 in their NBL1 West Men opener on March 27.

Eastern Suns led for most of the night and answered Lakeside’s third-quarter push by holding firm in the final term, closing out a five-point win at home.

Game Snapshot

• Quarter scores: Eastern Suns 24–19, 21–20, 27–29, 20–19
• Eastern Suns shot 52.2% from the field
• Eastern Suns won the turnover battle 12–19

Cook-Green finished with 22 points and seven assists on 9-from-17 shooting, while Sam matched him with 22 points and five assists on 9-from-15 from the field.

Terrandus Smith added 15 points, five rebounds and three steals, while Jordan Simpson contributed seven points and 11 rebounds. Lewis Thomas made his presence felt defensively with six blocks.

Corey Shervill led Lakeside with 26 points, while Isaiah Lewis added 22 on 6-from-9 shooting from three-point range. Joshua Davey contributed nine points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, but Lakeside’s 19 turnovers proved costly.

By the Numbers

Joe Cook-Green (ESU): 22 pts │ 2 reb │ 7 ast │ 9-from-17 FG
Marley Sam (ESU): 22 pts │ 3 reb │ 5 ast
Corey Shervill (LAK): 26 pts │ 6 reb │ 2 ast

Round 1: Willetton Tigers 96 def. East Perth Eagles 82 – Men – March 28 at Willetton Basketball Stadium

Bryce Johnson and Damien Scott led a balanced Willetton Tigers attack as they defeated East Perth Eagles 96–82 in their NBL1 West Men clash on March 28.

Willetton set the tone early with a 31-point first quarter and maintained control throughout, winning three of four quarters to secure a 14-point victory.

Game Snapshot

Quarter scores: 31–19, 17–24, 28–21, 20–18
Willetton controlled the rebounds 51–48
Willetton recorded 27 assists

Johnson finished with 19 points and six assists, shooting efficiently and controlling tempo, while Scott added 15 points, six assists and five rebounds.

Michael Vigor provided 16 points off the bench, while Taeshon Cherry added 16 points and eight rebounds. Thomas Gerovich contributed a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

David Okwera led East Perth with 25 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks, while Max Rice added 22 points and five assists. Chenbin Huang contributed 14 points, but the Eagles couldn’t match Willetton’s early scoring burst.

By the Numbers

Bryce Johnson (WIL): 19 pts │ 4 reb │ 6 ast
David Okwera (EPE): 25 pts │ 11 reb │ 6 ast │ 5 blk
Michael Vigor (WIL): 16 pts │ 4 reb

Round 1: Joondalup Wolves 109 def. Lakeside Lightning 82 – Men – March 28 at Lakeside Recreation Centre

Sharif Black and CJ Turnage combined for 56 points as Joondalup Wolves overwhelmed Lakeside Lightning 109–82 in their NBL1 West Men clash on March 28.

Joondalup established control early with a 32-point first quarter and continued to build the margin across the first half before a dominant 25–8 fourth quarter sealed the blowout.

Game Snapshot

Quarter scores: 26–32, 20–30, 28–22, 8–25
Joondalup shot 52.2% from the field
Lakeside shot 35.4% from the field

Black led all scorers with 30 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Turnage added 26 points, four rebounds and four steals in an all-around performance.

Taylor Young contributed 16 points and four assists, while Victor-Gabriel Chadinha added 17 points on efficient shooting. The Wolves had multiple scoring threats throughout.

Tyson Kelly led Lakeside with 15 points, while Corey Shervill added 13 points and six rebounds. However, the Lightning were unable to match Joondalup’s efficiency and depth.

By the Numbers

Sharif Black (JOON): 30 pts │ 8 reb │ 4 ast
CJ Turnage (JOON): 26 pts │ 4 reb │ 3 ast │ 4 stl
Tyson Kelly (LAK): 15 pts │ 1 reb │ 4 ast

Round 1: South West Slammers 78 def. Goldfields Giants 74 – Men – March 28 at Evolution Mining Stadium

Dante Matakatea and Jack Flynn led South West Slammers to a 78–74 win against Goldfields Giants in their NBL1 West Men clash on March 28.

South West controlled the first half, outscoring Goldfields 45–30, then held on after the Giants closed the margin in the second half.

Game Snapshot

Quarter scores: Goldfields 18–22, 12–23, 21–15, 23–18
South West won the rebounds 46–45
Goldfields shot 38.9% from the field

Matakatea delivered 18 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, providing a strong interior presence while helping South West withstand Goldfields’ late push.

Flynn added 15 points on efficient shooting, while Jhaylon Martinez finished with 14 points and eight rebounds. Philmon Gebrewhit contributed 11 points and five rebounds.

Sam Vinson led Goldfields with 25 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Danny Pippen added 21 points and nine rebounds. Michael Jok contributed 14 points and eight rebounds, but the Giants were unable to erase the early deficit.

By the Numbers

Dante Matakatea (SWS): 18 pts │ 12 reb │ 4 ast
Jack Flynn (SWS): 15 pts │ 3 reb │ 1 ast
Sam Vinson (GOL): 25 pts │ 9 reb │ 8 ast