DJ's Flames threes chisels out Norwood in OT

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Sturt Sabres extended their unbeaten start to 8-0 while South Adelaide Panthers confirmed contender status behind a dominant Jeremy Smith performance in a high-scoring Round 7 of the 2026 NBL1 Men's Central Conference.

Dejan Vasiljevic finished with 34 points (6-from-11 3PT) for Sturt after signing with the New Zealand Breakers for NBL27.

Breakers executive Dillon Boucher has already labelled the former Adelaide 36ers shooting guard a potential “game-changer,” comparing his shooting, leadership and competitiveness to club great CJ Bruton.

What the Round Told Us

• Sturt win under pressure – not just blowouts
• South Adelaide’s offence has a genuine ceiling
• Forestville remains consistent at 7-1
• Bottom teams continue to concede heavily
• Scoring trending up across the league

Game of the Round #1

Sturt Sabres 100 def. Norwood Flames 98 (OT) – Watch the Replay

Sturt Sabres moved to 8-0, surviving an overtime test behind Dejan Vasiljevic’s 34 points and a complete team contribution to close out Norwood.

Vasiljevic hit the go-ahead three with eight seconds left in overtime to put the Sabres up 99-96 but not before knocking down a tough, tough game-tying three with four seconds left to force the overtime at 86-86.

The Sabres didn’t dominate – they absorbed pressure and executed late. Norwood matched them across four quarters and into overtime, but Sturt’s ability to generate enough offence in key possessions separated the result.

Dejan Vasiljevic led all scorers with 34 points on 11-from-22 shooting, including 6-from-11 from three, carrying Sturt’s perimeter scoring load.

Josh Tomasi added a double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds, four assists), while Sebastian Griffin controlled the game with 10 assists to go with nine rebounds.

Norwood had multiple winning-level performances.
Thomas Kurowski delivered 30 points and 11 rebounds on 12-from-21 shooting, while Inady Legiste added 18 points and 14 rebounds.

But Sturt’s balance – five players with multiple assists and four in double figures – proved decisive in overtime.

Game Snapshot

• Quarter Scores: Sturt 28-19, 19-17, 22-31, 17-18, 14-12
• Largest Lead: Sturt +11
• Norwood won the third quarter to flip momentum; Sturt closed in overtime

By the Numbers

• Sturt: 100 points │ 43% FG │ 13-from-38 3PT │ 27 assists
• Norwood: 98 points │ 44% FG │ 12-from-37 3PT │ +8 rebounds

Game of the Round #2

South Adelaide Panthers 107 def. Woodville Warriors 97 – Watch the Replay

Jeremy Smith produced one of the most dominant performances of the season, finishing with 44 points on 19-from-21 shooting to lead South Adelaide past Woodville.

Smith controlled the game inside, converting 18-from-20 from two-point range (90%), repeatedly scoring in the paint and forcing Woodville into reactive defence.

South Adelaide’s offence didn’t rely on one player.
Yevgen Sakhniuk delivered a near triple-double (14 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists), while Rio Bruton added 20 points and Lloyd McVeigh contributed 14 points and seven rebounds.

Woodville had enough offence to stay in range.
Nick Wurm scored 31 points (6-from-11 from three), while Uzoma Dibiamaka added 24 points and five assists.

But South’s efficiency — 57.7% from the field and 68.5% on two-point attempts — created separation across the second half.

Game Snapshot

• Quarter Scores: Woodville 23–25, 21–24, 20–30, 33–28
• Largest Lead: South Adelaide +13
• Game Context: South won the third quarter (30–20) to create separation

By the Numbers

• South Adelaide: 107 points │ 57.7% FG │ 25 assists │ 68.5% 2PT
• Woodville: 97 points │ 44.4% 3PT │ Four players 19+ points

Other Results

• Forestville Eagles 98 def. Southern Tigers 84
  Forestville improved to 7-1, maintaining second position with another controlled scoring performance.
• Eastern Mavericks 101 def. West Adelaide Bearcats 85
  Eastern pushed past the Bearcats behind a 100-point offensive outing to move to 3-5.
• North Adelaide Rockets 98 def. Central Districts Lions 92
  North Adelaide secured their second win, holding off Centrals in a competitive contest.

Men’s Ladder – After Round 7

1. Sturt Sabres: 8-0
2. Forestville Eagles: 7-1
3. South Adelaide Panthers: 6-2
4. Woodville Warriors: 5-3
5. Norwood Flames: 3-5
6. Eastern Mavericks: 3-5
7. Central Districts Lions: 2-6
8. North Adelaide Rockets: 2-6
9. Southern Tigers: 2-6
10. West Adelaide Bearcats: 2-6

Watchlist – Round 8

• West Adelaide vs Sturt – unbeaten streak under threat again
• North Adelaide vs Forestville – test of ladder gap
• South Adelaide vs Eastern Mavericks – offence vs volatility
• Woodville vs Southern Tigers – response game

Round 8 Questions

• How long can Sturt stay unbeaten?
• Is South Adelaide now the biggest threat?
• Can Forestville match elite offensive teams?
• Which bottom-four team fixes defence first?