FRESH off being named to the NBL1 East Women’s First Team, Sitaya Fagan has delivered another standout performance in the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence’s preliminary final win over the Norths Bears over the weekend.

Fighting for a spot in the Grand Final, the CoE travelled to North Sydney Indoor Sports Stadium on Saturday, having defeated the Albury Wodonga Bandits by two points in a thriller in the semi final the week before. They were coming up against a Bears side who finished second in the standings and lost just three games throughout the home and away season, meaning they would take some beating.

The month off heading into the finals for the CoE continues to be a moot point for the team of youngsters, and started Saturday’s clash with a solid first quarter to lead by four points after 10 minutes of play. The Bears bounced back in the second and third frames, and the CoE’s lead was cut down to just one point at three-quarter time. However, the young guns dominated the last term, outscoring Norths 20-10 to cruise home to victory and book a spot in the big dance.

Fagan was her usual impactful self in the prelim, showing her class on both ends of the floor to ensure the championship hopes of her side were still intact with a week to play, and continuing a strong campaign at NBL1 level.

Norths Bears (63) def. by Centre of Excellence (74)

Sitaya Fagan – 16 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks

It was another strong double-double from Fagan, who stuffed the stat sheet on both ends of the floor and made her presence felt on the big stage, indicating she is the key to the CoE’s championship hopes in the coming week.

She started the game reasonably slowly on the offensive end, missing her first few shots from the field, but proving a serious force on the glass, pulling down rebounds on both ends of the floor. Although she could not make an impact offensively in the first 10 minutes, Fagan’s ability to get first hands on the ball was crucial in securing as many possessions as possible for the CoE as they led at the first change.

After starting the second quarter on the bench, Fagan was finally able to hit the scoreboard with a nice midrange jumper to open her account for the match. She continued that momentum with a nice driving layup a minute later, before making an impact down the other end by blocking Emma Donnelly‘s jumpshot.

Fagan cashed in from behind the arc with her first three-pointer of the match in a crucial make to keep her side in the contest, before closing out the term with even more rebounding presence to ensure the CoE were still in front at the main break.

The third quarter saw the Bears stay in touch on the scoreboard, and it took five minutes for Fagan to hit the scoreboard again, but she did so midway through the term with her second three-pointer of the match off an Isabel Smith assist. Fagan returned the favour by kicking it out to Smith on the perimeter on the following possession as the duo showed good connection offensively. She closed out the quarter with a nice layup in transition after snagging the defensive board, showing her ability to score on the fast break and handle the ball.

Fagan’s craft around the basket was on display to start the fourth quarter, following a miss from her teammates and nailing the tip-in, before showing sharp instincts defensively by blocking an attempted three-pointer from the opposition as the CoE broke away on the scoreboard.

She set up the game-sealing basket by finding Zara Russell on the drive, who finished at the cup and put their team up by eight points with 30 seconds remaining. Fagan then put the finishing touches on the match by nailing a layup herself in the dying stages of the game as the CoE punched their ticket to the Grand Final.

Fagan finished the match with 16 points, 11 board, three dimes, two steals and two blocks, while shooting 7/19 from the field, with her efficiency being affected by how heavily she was guarded. Fagan looms as a central figure for Saturday’s decider against the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, and could cap off a breakout year with a championship.