THE North Adelaide Rockets have kicked off their National Basketball League (NBL)1 campaign in ideal fashion, besting the Norwood Flames on the back of an excellent all-around performance from Brooke Basham.

It was the opening round of the NBL1 Central season for 2024, and there was plenty of excitement surrounding the start of the fixture. Following some eye-catching player movements over the off-season, the race for the championship is wide open, and Round 1 was going to be a key indicator of where each team was at.

It was a hot start from the Rockets on the road at the ARC in Campbelltown on Sunday afternoon, jumping out to a six-point lead in a high scoring first quarter. The second and third periods were tightly contested, with neither side able to truly get in an offensive rhythm. However, North Adelaide was clinical on the defensive end in the fourth quarter, restricting the home side to just 10 points in the final term en route to a nine-point win.

Basham was everywhere for the Rockets, stuffing the stat sheet in a stellar start to the 2024 season from both a team and individual perspective.

Norwood Rockets (66) def. by North Adelaide Rockets (75)

Brooke Basham – 22 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, seven steals

Basham was excellent on both ends of the floor in North Adelaide’s win, taking over as the number one option on the team and leading the Rockets to victory.

She posted a game-high 22 points on a reasonably accurate 9/20 shooting from the field, leading the Rockets to a winning score. Although she did not have any success from behind the arc (0/4), Basham found good looks inside the paint and attacked the rim with ferocity.

Norwood did not have the defensive presence in the paint to alter those attempts, and when she drew contact to hit the free throw line, Basham did not make a mistake, going a perfect 4/4 from the charity stripe.

A presence on the glass, eight of her rebounds came on the defensive end, creating a new possession for her side with some excellent positioning and timing.

Playmaking came with mixed results for Basham, who did record eight assists and generate some scores for her teammates. However, her passing was ambitious at times, and she recorded nine turnovers and gave the opposition more chances to score the ball in transition.

Although that was disappointing at times, her hands were just as active on the defensive end, recording seven steals in an impactful defensive showing. The Flames struggled to keep her out of the game and it was a big part of the momentum switch in the last quarter.

It was a statement performance from Basham in the first round of the season, setting the benchmark with a tremendous showing.