NBA GLOBAL Academy member Sebastien Emenalo was terrific for the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence in their 10-point win over the Inner West Bulls in Round 6 of the NBL1 East Men’s over the weekend.

Despite being the youngest team in the competition, and typically focussed on development, the CoE currently sit atop the standings in the East Men’s competition, and came into their clash against the Bulls with a record of six wins and one loss. They have been consistently rotating their players each match too, giving playing time to the next generation of basketball stars.

It was a close affair for much of the match, with the CoE holding a slim two-point lead at the main change in an enthralling start to the match. However, the third team proved decisive, with the youngsters outscoring the home side 27-13 and although the Bulls fought hard to come back in the final frame, it was too late as the CoE held on for their seventh win of the 2025 fixture.

Emenalo was immense for the victors, posting a season-high in points as he showed his true capability in a tremendous performance.

Inner West Bulls (73) def. by BA CoE (83)

Sebastien Emenalo – 22 points, three rebounds

In a breakout performance, Emenalo put himself on the map with a terrific showing against the Bulls, showing his skill as a scorer at just 19 years of age.

After coming off the bench, he was injected into the game midway through the first game, but it was a slow start with Emenalo recording a quick turnover, before missing his first attempt from the field. However, the wing hit the scoreboard shortly after with a nice triple off the catch to cut the Bulls’ lead to just two points after they threatened to get out to a big lead.

The young gun nailed his second triple of the quarter shortly after, catching the ball in transition before quickly turning around and firing off a long range bomb that cleanly found the bottom of the net and showcased how easily he can get to his spots.

Emenalo showed his ability to shoot off the dribble in the second quarter, pulling up from midrange with a smooth move that helped him create separation and convert truly. It was his only make of the term, as the wing headed to the break for a well-deserved rest shortly after.

Returning to the fray halfway through the third quarter, the 19-year-old repeated his feats from the first quarter with another turnaround three-pointer that perfectly demonstrated his confidence in his own shot once getting going from the field. Emenalo also showed an ability to push the pace, pulling down a defensive board and storming out in transition to draw contact and convert at the free throw line.

With the CoE looking to land the knockout blow in the third quarter, it was Emenalo who stood up to get his side out to a match-winning lead. The wing produced back to back triples in the span of a minute to close out the frame and put a dagger in the heart of the Bulls at three-quarter time.

He was not done yet, nailing another three-pointer to open the fourth quarter and ensure Inner West remained at arms length. It was his final make of the match and was enough to ensure the visitors held on for a double-digit triumph.

Emenalo finished the contest with 22 points on 7/14 shooting from the field, with six of those makes coming from behind the arc in an excellent shooting display. It was the type of performance to put him on the global map, and may prove vital in his basketball path moving forward.