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Nov

2026

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'West is best': Westbeld blitz buries Jewels by 32

Peter Brown basketball.com.au

Written By

Peter Brown

Senior Editor

'West is best': Westbeld blitz buries Jewels by 32
'West is best': Westbeld blitz buries Jewels by 32

Adelaide Lightning's Madeline Westbeld. Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Highlights

Madeline Westbeld had 29 and 10 as Adelaide beat Tasmania by 32, the biggest WNBL27 margin so far.

Madeline Westbeld was unstoppable inside the arc as the Adelaide Lightning hammered the Tasmania Jewels 100-68 at the SA State Basketball Centre on Saturday, November 7, the biggest winning margin of WNBL27 so far.

Westbeld finished with 29 points and 10 rebounds on 11-from-16 shooting, a perfect 6-from-6 from the charity stripe and two blocks in 31 minutes. It was her basket that put Adelaide in front for good at 16-14 with 2:34 left in the first quarter, after the game had been tied six times.

Zitina Aokuso was just as efficient alongside her, with 20 points and 12 rebounds on 7-from-9, and the pair gave the Lightning a frontcourt Tasmania simply could not handle. Adelaide went 28-from-41 inside the arc to Tasmania's 17-from-43, a 22-point edge on twos alone, and got to the line 24 times to the Jewels' eight.

The Jewels hung around for a half. Stephanie Reid scored 25 with four triples, Brooke Basham hit four of her five threes on the way to 18, and Tasmania won the second quarter 24-23 to trail only 50-42 at the break.

It fell apart from there, with Adelaide winning the third quarter 22-14 and the fourth 28-12, and a closing 12-0 run pushed the lead to 36 with 1:40 to play.

Jessica McDowell-White ran the show off the bench with a game-high seven assists and finished plus-36, the best mark on the floor, as the Lightning piled up 29 assists to Tasmania's 19.

It is a second straight win and the first at home this season for Adelaide, who started 0-3 and are now 2-3, while Tasmania drop to 2-2.

There was at least a milestone for the Jewels in defeat, with Mikaela Ruef playing her 150th WNBL game.

What you need to know

  • The Adelaide Lightning beat the Tasmania Jewels 100-68 at the SA State Basketball Centre in Adelaide on Saturday, November 7 in Round 4 of WNBL27, the biggest winning margin of the season so far and a second straight win that lifts Adelaide to 2-3 and leaves Tasmania 2-2.
  • Tasmania led 6-2 early and the game was tied six times in the first quarter before Madeline Westbeld put Adelaide ahead for good at 16-14 with 2:34 left. Adelaide won three of the four quarters, 27-18, 23-24, 22-14 and 28-12, led 50-42 at half-time and finished on a 12-0 run to lead by 36 at 100-64 with 1:40 left.
  • Westbeld top-scored with 29 points and 10 rebounds on 11-from-16, and Zitina Aokuso had 20 points and 12 rebounds on 7-from-9, while Stephanie Reid led Tasmania with 25 on 9-from-15, including 4-from-6 from three.
  • The game was won inside the arc. Adelaide made 28-from-41 twos to Tasmania's 17-from-43, a 22-point edge, which more than covered Tasmania's 10 threes to eight.
  • Adelaide went to the line 24 times and made 20, to Tasmania's 4-from-8, and had 29 assists to 19, while Tasmania had eight steals to two.

Milestones

  • Mikaela Ruef played her 150th WNBL game.
  • Darcee Garbin played her 246th WNBL game and moved to 2,184 career WNBL points.
  • Stephanie Reid moved to 980 career WNBL points and 372 career assists in her 89th WNBL game.
  • Stephanie Talbot played her 231st WNBL game and moved to 2,738 career WNBL points.
  • Zitina Aokuso played her 131st WNBL game and moved to 1,247 career WNBL points and 731 career rebounds.

Adelaide Lightning

  • Madeline Westbeld top-scored with 29 points and 10 rebounds on 11-from-16, including 1-from-3 from three and 6-from-6 at the line, with two blocks in 31 minutes.
  • Zitina Aokuso had 20 points, 12 rebounds (four offensive) and four assists on 7-from-9, including 6-from-8 at the line.
  • Shay Ciezki scored 14 with five assists on 6-from-8 in 20 minutes, with four turnovers.
  • Tayla Brazel had 10 points and three assists on 3-from-6, including 2-from-3 from three and 2-from-2 at the line, without a turnover.
  • Jessica McDowell-White had eight points, five rebounds and a game-high seven assists off the bench on 3-from-7, including 2-from-5 from three, and finished plus-36, the best mark in the game.
  • Elissa Brett had eight points, four rebounds and three assists off the bench, going 5-from-5 at the line.
  • Kiara Waite scored seven in 10 minutes off the bench on 3-from-7, including 1-from-4 from three, with a block.
  • Adelaide shot 36-from-64 from the field, 8-from-23 from three and 20-from-24 at the line, with 44 rebounds, 29 assists and 13 turnovers.

Tasmania Jewels

  • Stephanie Reid top-scored with 25 points on 9-from-15, including 4-from-6 from three and 3-from-5 at the line, with four assists and three steals.
  • Brooke Basham scored 18 on 7-from-12, including 4-from-5 from three, with two steals.
  • Ella Tofaeono had nine points and three rebounds on 4-from-5 in 19 minutes, with four fouls.
  • Darcee Garbin had seven points, seven rebounds and five assists on 3-from-14, including 1-from-7 from three.
  • Mia Jacobs had four points and a team-high 10 rebounds (four offensive) off the bench on 2-from-8.
  • Katie Deeble had three points and three assists off the bench on 1-from-7, her only basket a three.
  • Gianna Kneepkens had two points and three assists on 1-from-7 in 24 minutes.
  • Tasmania shot 27-from-72 from the field, 10-from-29 from three and 4-from-8 at the line, with 31 rebounds, 19 assists and 14 turnovers.

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