THE Central Districts Lions have finally claimed their first win of the 2023 NBL1 Central season, downing the Norwood Flames on the back of a massive performance from Jaedyn De La Cerda.

Coming into the clash, the Lions were winless from 10 games and were coming up against a Flames side that has looked like a strong contender for a finals appearance come season’s end. Norwood was the clear favourite coming in, especially given it had the home court advantage.

The two sides clashed at the ARC Campbelltown on Friday night, and it was the Lions who jumped out to an early lead. They outscored the Flames 22-17 in the opening quarter and managed to keep the opposition from answering in the quarters that followed.

Although the home side threw everything at Central Districts in the final term, the underdogs held on for a thrilling 14-point win to open their account for this year’s fixture.

The result would not have been possible if not for the efforts of De La Cerda, who stuffed the stat sheet with a performance that had a huge impact on the contest.

Norwood Flames (68) def. by Central Districts Lions (72)

Jaedyn De La Cerda – 22 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals

De La Cerda was the game’s premier presence as she did a heap of everything to successfully get her side over the line.

The guard was not only able to produce a triple-double, but she was also the game’s highest scorer with 22 points. She balanced her shot selection with inside and outside scoring, with half of her shots coming inside the arc and the other half from downtown en route to six made baskets on 15 attempts.

De La Cerda was also able to generate offence from the free throw line, driving in and drawing contact on shot attempts and late in the game when the Flames had to slow the game down. From the charity stripe, she nailed seven shots on 10 attempts.

As a rebounder, the guard was a constant presence as she crashed the glass on both ends of the court. Three of her 12 rebounds came on the offensive end and often resulted in another field goal attempt for the Lions, while her defensive boards ensured the opposition could not do the same.

De La Cerda was also the game’s premier playmaker, with the likes of Tiahna Sears (19 points) and Imani Guy (13 points) the biggest beneficiaries of this. The guard facilitated to her teammates whenever given the opportunity, looking to get Central Districts the best look at scoring.

It was a towering performance from De La Cerda, who did as much as she could to ensure the Lions notched their first win of the season.