ALTHOUGH much of the action for young guns was at the National Championships over the weekend, Elizabeth Murphy still made waves at National Basketball League (NBL)1 East Women’s level.

Now in her second season with the Albury-Wodonga Bandits in one of Australia’s biggest basketball competitions, Murphy is continuing the positive steps she made in her debut campaign.

In her first year at this level, the guard stormed onto the scene with a strong campaign for the Bandits, averaging 11 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game at 16 years of age.

Now entering her second campaign, Murphy appears destined to continue on her upward trajectory, and her performance in the big win over the Sutherland Sharks was solid evidence of that.

Her side was dominant at Lauren Jackson Sports Centre on Saturday evening, and Murphy was one of the most productive offensive players on the court, despite being far less experienced than her teammates and opponents.

Albury-Wodonga Bandits (103) def. Sutherland Sharks (53)

Elizabeth Murphy – 16 points, three rebounds, four assists, one steal

One of the best young players in the NBL1 delivered once again, coming off the bench to produce some important buckets.

She entered the game halfway through the first quarter, and although it took her some time to get going, Murphy knocked home her first three-pointer with just under two minutes remaining in the term, showing what she can do from behind the arc.

It was reflective of how the rest of her game would pan out, working hard off the ball and making the most of off-ball screens to get open on the wings, and splash home several shots from behind the arc.

Murphy had 16 points off the bench in just under 24 minutes of court time, shooting 6/11 from the field and proving yet another weapon for a fit and firing Bandits side.

Of those six makes, four of those came from behind the three-point line on five attempts, playing to her strengths and using her smooth shooting motion to find the bottom of the net on a consistent basis.

Given there are so many stars on Albury-Wodonga’s list, the youngster often flies under the radar, but can still hurt the opposition with her long-range shooting.

It was another excellent performance in her young career, and she should continue to find more looks from around the three-point line and play an important role for the Bandits.