ON a team that is packed to the rafters with plenty of young talent, Monique Bobongie was a force to be reckoned with for the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence (BA CoE), as the team defeated the Inner West Bulls.

Coming into Sunday afternoon’s clash at Auburn Basketball Centre, the CoE were definitely the favourites, sitting far higher than the Bulls in the standings, given Inner West had secured just the one win to date. However, the young team was coming off a nine-point loss to the Newcastle Falcons earlier in the week, and needed a bounce back win to stay in the hunt for a strong spot on the ladder.

The CoE dominated the contest for much of the match, storming out of the gates to nearly double the home side’s output and take a double-digit lead at the first change. By the time half time rolled around, the visitors led by 30 points after restricting the Bulls to seven points in the second term. Although Inner West stopped the bleeding as the game went on, CoE still snagged a 37-point win.

Although it was a strong performance from a team perspective, Bobongie was certainly the standout with a massive statline.

Inner West Bulls (46) def. by BA CoE (83)

Monique Bobongie – 21 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, one steal, four blocks

Just a week after being selected to represent Australia at the FIBA World Cup, Bobongie displayed why she is one of the rising stars in Australian basketball with a towering performance.

Despite playing on an opposition that was more experienced, the talented tall was the best player on the court, and had her fingerprints all over the big win.

She poured in 21 points on 8/14 shooting from the field, proving reliable whenever her side needed a basket. Although she tried her hand at long range shooting (1/6 3PT), Bobongie did her best work inside the paint, playing to her strengths and finding baskets in the low block.

Although the opposition tried to prevent her from getting the ball in the paint, she worked hard on her positioning to find herself in situations where she could put up a high percentage shot.

On the glass, Bobongie was tremendous as well, using her 178cm frame to reach over the opposition and get first hands on the ball. Having established herself as a double-double machine for the CoE this season, she ensured that trend continued against the Bulls.

Bobongie was also switched on defensively, contesting every shot she could and recording four blocks as she swatted anything that came her way.

It was another outstanding showing from the 17-year-old, who is looming as a future star at not only domestic level, but internationally as well.