Image credit: @DiscoveryOne_Photography (Greg Francis)

Abbie Ketels hit the game's biggest bucket with Carlie McAlister starring as Canberra Nationals scored the Thursday night win before Che Brogan and Jacob Furphy starred to keep Centre of Excellence top of NBL1 East.

EAST RECAP | ROUND 9 SUNDAY

Nbl1 Player Game Results Graphic Carlie Smith Ba Coe Vs Canberra 4x5 (png)

WOMEN

Centre of Excellence (74) lost to Canberra Nationals (77)

Abbie Ketels scored her lone points of the game in what proved the biggest basket of the contest as the Canberra Nationals held out the Centre of Excellence 77-74 in a Thursday night thriller.

The two Canberra teams did battle on Thursday night at the Australian Institute of Sport with the CoE attempting to bounce back from Sunday's loss on the same floor to the Sutherland Sharks.

Canberra had suffered the same fate against the Sharks back on Saturday so the form lines were similar and both teams weren’t short of motivation in the only game this week with the NBL1 East taking a break over the King's Birthday long weekend.

It was an impressive start from the Centre of Excellence with 22 points to 15 in the first quarter on the back of shooting 9/17 from the field to the 7/18 from the Nationals.

The CoE managed another 22 points to 19 in the second term too to extend their lead to 44-34 at half-time while going 5/10 from three-point range to 2/10 from Canberra while there were only two free throws attempted in total between both teams.

The Nationals then began to turn things around in the third frame coming back from an 18-point deficit to go on a 9-0 run and to cut the Centre of Excellence lead back to just three at three quarter-time.

The CoE scored the first four points of the last quarter to push back out to a seven-point lead but Canberra answered with the next seven points including a three ball to Jasmyn Boutzos to draw level with five minutes to play.

Abby Solway then grabbed the lead a minute later thanks to a triple from Abby Solway but Sitaya Fagan returned the Centre of Excellence to the lead with a three ball of her own.

Boutzos then knocked down another for Canberra and then Zara Russell scored on the inside as the lead continued to switch hands.

Eventually when the Nationals were up by one in the final minute, Abbie Ketels took the ball inside finishing a tough attempt around the basket. She drew the foul as well and couldn't make the extra, but it was enough to give Canberra the three-point lead.

Callie Bourne was fouled on the next possession for the Nationals and while she missed both at the line, the offensive rebound Solway grabbed proved crucial.

She made one at the line to give Canberra a four-point lead and that would prove enough for the eventual three-point win even if a tech foul on Carlie McAlister gave the CoE a chance to force overtime only for Fagan to miss her attempt from downtown.

Canberra improves to a 5-6 record as a result of the win to stay right in the hunt for a playoffs spot with Carlie McAlister (nee Smith) brilliant once more with 27 points, 10 rebounds and four assists on 11/19 shooting from the field.

Abby Solway added 16 points, three rebounds and two assists, Jasmyn Boutzos 14 points and five boards with 4/7 three-point shooting, and Callie Bourne nine points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals.

The Centre of Excellence are now 10-4 having lost their past two matches with Isabel Smith top-scoring with 22 points to go with six rebounds on 10/15 shooting from the field.

Sitaya Fagan delivered another 19 points, 12 rebounds, four steals, three blocked shots and two assists, Zara Funnell nine points on 4/5 field goal shooting, and Emilija Dakic six points, 10 assists and six rebounds.

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE 74 (Smith 22, Fagan 19, Russell 14)

CANBERRA NATIONALS 77 (McAlister 27, Solway 16, Boutzos 14)

Nbl1 Player Game Results Graphic Jacob Furphy Ba Coe Vs Canberra 4x5 (png)

MEN

Centre of Excellence (85) defeated Canberra Gunners (75)

The Centre of Excellence maintained their hold on top spot going into the King's Birthday long weekend with Che Brogan and Jacob Furphy combining for 53 points in the 85-75 win over the Canberra Gunners.

The CoE came into the Thursday night match up at the Australian Institute of Sport having won 11 of 13 matches this year to be two wins clear in top spot of the NBL1 East.

They were playing host to a Canberra team also having won eight off 11 this season with both teams fresh off wins against the Sutherland Sharks across the weekend.

It would prove to be a tight contest throughout the opening three quarters as well including the Gunners knocking down 5/10 from three-point range in the first term only for the CoE to be leading 23-21 by quarter-time on the back of 8/8 at the foul line.

The Gunners then only went 1/6 from downtown in the second quarter, but they were able to outscore the Centre of Excellence 23 to 20 on the back of the home team shooting just 8/20 for the term and only getting to the charity stripe once.

Both teams were efficient offensively in the third term with the CoE shooting 10/17 for 24 points while Canberra scored 25 on the back of shooting 9/14 from the field.

That saw the Gunners leading 69-67 by three quarter-time only for the Centre of Excellence to totally take charge in the final 10 minutes.

The CoE outscored Canberra 18 points to six on the back of shooting 7/14 from the field and holding the Gunners to going just 3/14 to turn that two-point deficit into a 10-point victory.

It's a third straight win for the Centre of Excellence who improve to a 12-2 record to remain clear in top spot with Che Brogan continuing his blistering recent form with another 28 points, five assists, four steals and three rebounds.

Jacob Furphy wasn’t far behind with 25 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals while Luke Fennell contributed 10 points and two rebounds, and Ajak Nyuon five points and five boards.

Canberra are now 8-4 on the season remaining inside the top four heading into the King's Birthday long weekend with William Rice top-scoring with 16 points on 4/5 three-point shooting.

Glenn Morison added 12 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and two blocked shots, Will Mayfield 11 points, three boards and two assists, James Toohey nine points, six rebounds and three assists, Derek Emelifeonwu nine points, and Evan Wardlow eight points, four boards, four assists and two steals.

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE 85 (Brogan 28, Furphy 25, Fennell 10)

CANBERRA GUNNERS 75 (Rice 16, Morison 12, Mayfield 11)

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Chris Pike

East Recap | Round 9 Thursday