A NEAR triple-double from Casey Samuels helped the Central Districts Lions claim a six-point win over the Norwood Flames in the National Basketball League (NBL)1 Central Women’s competition over the weekend.

Round 2 of the 2024 season took place from Thursday to Sunday, continuing an exciting start to the fixture from South Australia’s premier basketball competition.

The Lions hosted the Flames at the STARplex on Thursday night, with the two teams enjoying different results in Round 1. Central Districts was looking to keep its winning streak going after a victory in the opening week, while Norwood was still searching for that maiden triumph.

In an extremely tight affair, the Lions outscored the visitors 22-17 in the fourth term, breaking away for an 89-83 win at home, with Samuels doing a bit of everything to get her team over the line.

Central Districts Lions (89) def. Norwood Flames (83)

Casey Samuels – 23 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists, four steals, one block

In a stat-stuffing performance, Samuels was one of the deciding factors in the Lions’ second consecutive win, doing whatever was required for Central Districts to get over the line.

Firstly, she top scored with 23 points, taking control of the offensive responsibility and proving capable of leading the team with ball in hand. Samuels made seven shots on 16 attempts, carving up the defence and doing most of her work inside the arc, although the guard/forward splashed home a couple of three-pointers as well.

The defence was so worried about the ease at which she was getting to the rim, that Samuels found herself at the free throw line on several occasions. She made seven of her eight attempts from the charity stripe, helping the Lions’ score tick over.

She crashed the glass with eight rebounds, although she fell just two boards short of a remarkable triple-double, but her effort in this domain was still impressive nonetheless.

As the premier floor general for the Lions, Samuels got her teammates involved wherever possible, and this was boosted when the defence collapsed in when she started to score well herself. The likes of Taylah Levy (19 points) and Jasmin Fejo (17 points) benefited from her playmaking, and Samuels’ unselfishness was integral in getting Central Districts to a win.