THE NBL1 Central Women’s competition returned for Round 6 over the weekend, and the action was not without some strong individual performances.

In one of the stronger team outings of the round, the West Adelaide Bearcats were too good for the Eastern Mavericks when the two sides clashed at St Francis de Sales Community Sports Centre on Saturday night.

Coming into the game, both sides were eager to get back on the winners’ list, bringing consecutive losses into the match. However, the Bearcats were the better side on the night, and recorded their third win of the season, while Eastern remains on the hunt for a maiden win for 2023.

The Bearcats controlled the match for most of the contest, jumping out to an early lead and never letting the Mavericks back into the game. Although Eastern won the final quarter, it could also be a result of West Adelaide taking the foot off the pedal as it cruised to a 16-point victory.

In the win, there was no denying the impact of Jasmin Fejo, who was a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the court for the Bearcats.

Eastern Mavericks (67) def. by West Adelaide Bearcats (83)

Jasmin Fejo – 29 points, nine rebounds, six assists, five steals

Fejo was everywhere as the Bearcats ran rampant in the first three quarters, doing a bit of everything in an immensely eye-catching performance.

She was the match’s leading scorer with 29 points, doing plenty of damage on the offensive end with ball in hand. She was able to find her rhythm from behind the arc, which was a big catalyst for the scoring display. She nailed five triples on 10 attempts, showing no fear or hesitation of the defensive pressure from the opposition.

Fejo was a strong presence on the glass as well, pulling down nine rebounds, a figure which included four on the offensive end, which was a crucial part of the team’s offence. Although her teammates had the height advantage, Fejo’s sheer desire to track down the loose ball came to the forefront.

Given Fejo’s high usage with ball in hand, her six assists showed that she had the smarts to not get too caught up in scoring. She was always looking for West Adelaide to take the best shot, whether it was out of her hands of a teammate’s.

She was also a pest on the defensive end, constantly harassing and hounding the opposition ball-handler on her way to five steals, which was a game-high total.

It was a performance that was hard to ignore from Fejo, who was a constant figure in the match and had a huge say on the outcome.