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3-Minute Read
The Sabres took control with a dominant 33-14 including a 20-2 stretch across the halftime period.
It was the Panthers however that jumped out under new coach Scott Rattus on the Sabres missing Paige Padroth. The Panthers missing Argentinian centre Emmy Garcia Leon charged through the play of Kiera and Hannah Gardiner as the sister act went to work with eight points between them in the first term. Aimee Brett in return from the Cairns Dolphins in NBL1 North last season also looked strong in her distribution and attack on the basket despite Sabres skipper Nicola Mathews breaking her ankles with a smooth crossover move.
The Sabres however were off target from beyond the arc early were rushed into error as the Panthers took a 12-21 first quarter lead.
The grind was real early in the second with both teams struggling to find scoring opportunities. Despite a welcome return of WNBL Betty Watson Breakout Player of the Year Tayla Brazel to the fold – the Panthers held a commanding 15 point lead with some great assistance from Bianca Stasinowsky and Woodville Warriors recruit Sophie Evans. Stasinowsky and Evans’ length troubled the Sabres, holding a 21-36 with 2:30 left in the second. That’s when the Sabres struck back through defensive maestro Zoe Walker-Roberts and Brazel as they edged the Sabres back into the contest with a quick 7-2 run to trail 29-38 at the main change.
ZWR and Brazel led the Sabres out of the break as the Sabres brought their colellective nature back to the fore with a stout 14-2 run. Brazel made one of the first triples from the night and it opened the gates as Nicola Mathews saw her opportunity to seize. With a young group and newish combination the Panthers spark in the first half looked to have gone out as last year’s runner ups grinded the game back in their favour. The Sabres took the lead back late in the fourth and held a 48-45 lead with one to play.
It was the Sabres turn to jump out of the blocks in the fourth with a 6-0 start as Katia Stamatelopoulos took control of the point position between the sides. In her second year the long guard was active with her hands and positional outworking her opponent on the floor. Given space to operate late however was Nicola Mathews as she drained a triple then made the tip in off the offensive rebound as the Sabres took game one of the season in a controlled and calm manner.
Mathews emerged as the player of the game with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, backed up by Brazel with 10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists in a solid all-round return to the league. Zoe Walker-Roberts started on the pine but had her usual influence with 11 points and 7 rebounds with Stamatelopoulos churning out a handy nine points, four rebounds and two assists with two steals.
It was a bright start from Merv Harris medallist of 2025 Kiera Gardiner with ten points in the first half but finished with 12 points and eight rebounds as her influence was shut down in the second half. Stasinowsky had one of her best games in a long time with 7 points and 8 rebounds and the young core of Daisy Hocking (six points and nine rebounds) and Sophie Evans (Career high 7 points and four rebounds with expanded opportunity) showed some spark for South.
The numbers that mattered
- This was the Sturt Sabres fourth win in a row against the South Adelaide Panthers since 2024
- The Sabres took 34 attempts from beyond the perimeter but only made two for the night
- The Sabres trailed by 15 points but turned the game with a 20-2 stretch across the halftime break
- The Panthers won the rebound count 50-36 including 11 offensive rebounds
- The Panthers had 26 turnovers compared to the Sabres 13 in the contest – the Panthers guards had 18 between
The Three Takeaways
- Nicola Mathews timing is still and always impeccable when needed
- Sophie Evans is a handy pickup for the Panthers
- Panthers downhill style will be fun to watch but will take some time to put together over four quarters in terms of motoring management
STURT SABRES 62 (N MATTHEWS 19, BRAZEL 11, Z WALKER-ROBERTS 10, STAMATELOPOULOS 9, M WALKER-ROBERTS 7)
SOUTH ADELAIDE PANTHERS 52 (K GARDINER 12, COX 8, STASINOWSKY 7)
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