EMERGING talent Bonnie Deas put together an excellent offensive performance as the Frankston Blues claimed a 23-point win over the Mt. Gambier Pioneers in Round 5 of the NBL1 South Women’s over the weekend.

The Blues had broken even with three wins and three losses from their six games to start the 2025 season, and although they had shown glimpses of dominance, they would need to string together consecutive wins if they were to make a true move up the standings.

Deas was proving immense for Frankston this season, cementing her spot as one of the best players on the roster at just 18 years of age. Having made a name for herself at VJBL level over the past few years and even spending time on a WNBL roster, it was translating to the NBL1 in emphatic fashion.

Boasting home court advantage at Dreamstreet Lending Arena on Sunday afternoon, the Blues got off to an ideal start, finding potency on the offensive end and dropping 27 points in the first quarter to lead by 14 after 10 minutes of play. The second quarter was more of the same, with Frankston extending its lead out to 20 points at the main change, and although the Pioneers were much better in the second quarter, it was too little, too late as the hosts cruised home to a big win.

Deas was immense in the win, setting the tone on the offensive side of the ball and showing why she has an incredibly bright future ahead if she keeps up this level of development.

Frankston Blues (99) def. Mt. Gambier Pioneers (76)

Bonnie Deas – 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three steals

The Blues youngster was the best performer on the court in the win over the Blues, completely taking over to lead her side to their fourth win of the year and showcasing her ceiling with a tremendous performance.

She set the tone early, recording the first score of the match with a nice standing three-pointer on the first possession of the game. A midrange shot followed shortly after, and by the time she had recorded her third basket of the match with a nice layup in transition, it was evident the 18-year-old was in for a big match.

Deas began to really take over in the second frame, asserting herself on the offensive glass and giving herself plenty of second chance scoring opportunities, as demonstrated by a nice tip-in to get herself going for the quarter. She was becoming a problem for the opposition inside the paint, finding her way to the basket and either finishing at the cup or forcing the defence to commit the foul and send her to the charity stripe.

Deas had 15 points to her name at the main break, and was clearly the dominant figure in the match over the first 20 minutes of play. With her hot start, the Blues were certainly looking to play through her and it was proving a winning strategy.

The guard picked up exactly where she left off after half time, nailing another triple early in the third frame to ensure she stayed hot on the offensive end. She combined well with Lauren Scherf to set up her veteran teammate for some easy scoring plays, before getting involved again herself with another three-pointer.

By the time Deas nailed her third shot from behind the arc of the term, it was evident that her star potential was shining through for Frankston, and she finished the quarter with another 11 points to her name as the Blues took an unassailable lead into the fourth term.

Once again, the youngster got involved early in the fourth quarter with a nice midrange pullup shot to ensure she was still the form player of the match. Deas capped off the night with a nice steal and layup in transition to put an exclamation point on her performance and the win for the Blues.

She finished the contest with a game-high 32 points on 10/23 shooting from the field, 4/8 shooting from downtown and a perfect 8/8 shooting from the charity stripe to go with eight rebounds and six assists. It was a star-level performance from Deas, who is now one of the most watchable young guns in the country.