A MONSTER performance from Emily Saunders was crucial in the Norwood Flames getting the better of the Sturt Sabres in the NBL1 Central Women’s competition at Springbank Secondary College on Thursday night.

The Flames came into the clash as underdogs, needing to hand the Sabres their first loss of the season if they were to get the job done on Thursday. Norwood itself had managed just one win from three games, and looked in danger of falling behind the eight ball in the standings if it slipped to 1-4 after a few rounds of the fixture.

It was the ideal start to the match for the Flames, jumping out to a quick eight point lead in the first frame and silencing the Sturt crowd. Although the Sabres cut that deficit to one point with a quarter to play and eventually took the lead in the fourth, a jumpshot from Saunders with four seconds to play proved the matchwinning play as the Flames completed the upset.

Not only did Saunders have the game-deciding play in the dying seconds, but she was an immense figure for the entirety of the match, putting her side on her back and delivering her best performance of the season.

Sturt Sabres (71) def. by Norwood Flames (72)

Emily Saunders – 27 points, 23 rebounds, one assist, two steals, two blocks

Saunders was the towering figure of the match, standing head and shoulders above her peers when it comes to impact on the game and showed exactly why she is considered one of the most dominant bigs in the NBL1 Central competition.

The 23-year-old was able to do as she pleased in the paint, and although the Sabres sent double teams her way as the game rolled on, it was to no avail as Saunders bullied and barreled her way through opponents to score at the cup.

The first quarter saw Saunders make her mark early, pulling down a few offensive rebounds and using her height to gain a significant advantage over her opponents. With six points and five rebounds to her name by quarter time, it was evident she was in for a big match.

The fourth quarter was her shining moment, with Saunders dominating the decisive final term with 15 points in the last 10 minutes. She was intent on dragging her side over the line, and used her strength to full advantage, as demonstrated by a team-lifting And-One midway through the term, before capping off her performance with the game-winner.

With less than 10 seconds on the clock, the Flames inbounded the ball to Saunders under the basket, trusting her to find the bottom of the net. Knowing she was surrounded by nearly every Sturt player on the floor, she wasted no time and caught the ball and fired up a floater in one motion, nailing the shot and securing the win for Norwood.

It was as emphatic a performance as the Flames could have asked for from Saunders, who showed exactly what she is capable of if she plays to her strength and bullies her way through the defence, something she will likely continue to do in the future.