A SEASON-BEST performance from Natalie Chou was a driving force in the Eastern Suns’ 14-point win over the Goldfield Giants in the NBL1 West Women’s over the weekend.

Saturday night’s game at Ray Owen Sports Centre was not exactly a high-stakes game, with neither side a mathematical chance of making finals given there is just one week to play in the regular season. However, the game offered a chance for either team to finish their campaign on a high and take some sort of momentum into next season.

It was shaping as an evenly matched contest to start the game, with both teams finding success in putting up shots in the paint and near the hoop. The Suns looked to break away in the second but it was still a four-point game at the main change. However, a 24-14 third term broke the game open, as the Giants’ shooting suddenly went cold and the home side continued to produce baskets down the other end. Although Goldfields improved in the final term and managed to match this output, the task was too tall and the Suns cruised home to a 90-76 win.

The performance of Chou played a huge role in the outcome of the game, as she led from the front and nailed baskets when it mattered for the Suns.

Eastern Suns (90) def. Goldfield Giants (76)

Natalie Chou – 34 points, seven rebounds, four assists, five steals, one block

Chou was a star for the Suns in their seventh win of the season, taking control of the game from an offensive standpoint and proving a reliable avenue to scoring.

The 25-year-old had a game-high 34 points on the back of some reasonably accurate shooting from the field. She hit 14 shots on 24 attempts, and was able to find the bottom of the net from nearly anywhere in the halfcourt.

Chou hit a crucial lay-up on the eve of quarter time to keep her side within two points, and exploded when the Suns broke away in the third quarter, leading the team’s output on the offensive end and proving too much for the defence to handle.

She cashed in from behind the arc, showing no hesitation in firing off a long-range shot and finishing the match with four triples on six attempts. Chou has one of the smoothest shooting motions of anyone on her team and is one of the steadiest shooters the Suns have so they looked to get the ball in her hands as much as possible.

Chou was a standout for the Suns in one of their best team performances of the season, delivering on the offensive end with a magnificent scoring performance and steering Eastern to victory.