THE NBL1 South Women’s competition kicked off proceedings for the 2023 season over the weekend, and Abigail Wehrung wasted no time in stamping her authority on a match.

At Selkirk Stadium on Saturday evening, the Ballarat Miners were far too good for the Melbourne Tigers when the two sides opened their accounts for the fixture. The Miners claimed a thumping 79-54 win at home to get off to the perfect start.

The home side took full control of the match in the second quarter, outscoring the Tigers 24-8 to snatch a big lead into the main break. The third quarter saw a bit of a fightback from Melbourne, particularly on the defensive end, but the final term drew similar shades of the second, as Ballarat won the period 25-8 on its way to a 25-point triumph.

Wehrung was the most eye-catching performer of the match, working extremely hard on both ends of the court and proving a key figure in the result of the match.

Ballarat Miners (79) def. Melbourne Tigers (54)

Abigail Wehrung – 30 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, five steals

After delivering a fantastic season in the WNBL with the Adelaide Lightning, Wehrung has continued her hot form with a fantastic opening match in the 2023 NBL1 South Women’s season.

Offensively, the guard started with a bang, pouring in a game-high 30 points in terrific fashion on her new home court.

She looks as confident in her own game as any player in the country at the moment, not afraid to fire off a shot from any look given to her by the opposition defence. Although she copped the best backcourt defenders Melbourne had to offer, it mattered not.

She shot 10/22 from the field, and although Wehrung may not have had the most accurate night from behind the arc, she still nailed four triples, which helped boost her total in a big way. From the charity stripe, Wehrung made no mistakes, going a perfect 6/6.

She followed in shots from both sides on her way to an impressive seven rebounds, trailing in any field goal attempts to try and get first hands on the ball.

Defensively, Wehrung pestered the defence all night, making life extremely difficult for almost every Melbourne player on the court. She could read the opposition passes perfectly, while also hounding the defence and occasionally poking the ball free to create a fast break.