THE best players get it done in the big time. It is pretty hard to imagine that the National Basketball League (NBL)1 East competition is only two rounds into its existence. Over the weekend, Round 2 took place around New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory, with a heap of basketball action to enjoy. After an entertaining opening round, the competition backed it up with another exciting batch of games across the men’s and women’s competition in the span of a couple of days.

There were quite a few close games across the courts, none more so than the clash between the Inner West Bulls and the Maitland Mustangs at ELS Hall Park on Sunday afternoon. It was the final women’s match of the round, and it closed things out in style, with the match going down to the wire. In the end, the Mustangs were saved by the heroics of Hannah Griffin, who topped off a fantastic day at the office with two clutch free throws to guide Maitland to a five-point win.

Inner West Bulls (71) def. by Maitland Mustangs (76)

It was a cracking start to the match, with the two sides firing on the offensive end of the court. The Mustangs burst out of the gates, storming out to a nine-point lead early in the first quarter behind the efforts of Griffin and Rachel Williams. However, the Bulls were able to rally to close out the term and impressively tie things up by the time the first break rolled around. Scoring dried up a bit in the second term, but things were just as tense. The defence lifted from both teams, but neither side was able to get a real advantage on the scoreboard. Half time rolled around quickly, and the Bulls took a one-point lead into the main break.

The third quarter belonged to the Mustangs, who managed to put together their hard work on both ends of the court. They rallied behind the efforts of Griffin once again, as she looked determined to drive her side to victory with some seriously impressive shot making. Heading into the final term, the Mustangs led by nine points and carried all the momentum, giving the home side a tough task. It ended up being one they attacked head on, fighting hard in the last 10 minutes of the game and even drawing within three points in the last 10 seconds of the contest, giving themselves a real chance. Disappointingly, the chance was squandered when Griffin was fouled on a jump shot down the other end, as she drained both in cool fashion, and steering her side to a tense win.

For the victors, there was no one better in the match (or the round) than Griffin, who delivered a game-high 37 points and far and away the most influential player. She hit shots from all over the court, and most importantly, hit the two free throws to seal the win. It was one of the most astounding offensive performance we have seen in 2022 in any league, and she will be looking to back it up in the coming weeks. For the Bulls, Georgia Stirton tried her best with a team-high 21 points, which was almost enough to pull off the comeback.

There was plenty more basketball action taking place over the course of the weekend, as the standings move after two rounds of play.

Across the courts

Women’s

Maitland Mustangs (55) def. by Hills Hornets (74)
Newcastle Falcons (61) def. Inner West Bulls (45)
Canberra Nationals (66) def. by Sutherland Sharks (76)
Albury-Wodonga Bandits (71) def. by Illawarra Hawks (82)
Hills Hornets (56) def. by Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (84)
Canberra Nationals (65) def. Illawarra Hawks (58)

Men’s

Canberra Gunners (112) def. Sutherland Sharks (75)
Bankstown Bruins (61) def. by Norths Bears (78)
Albury-Wodonga Bandits (101) def. Illawarra Hawks (93)
Maitland Mustangs (87) def. Hills Hornets (84)
Newcastle Falcons (62) def. by Inner West Bulls (73)
Inner West Bulls (90) def. Maitland Mustangs (87)
Central Coast Crusders (87) def. Bankstown Bruins (79)
Hills Hornets (82) def. Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (41)
Canberra Gunners (89) def. by Illawarra Hawks (97)