ONE of the biggest names in Australian basketball produced a masterful performance in the National Basketball League (NBL)1 East over the weekend, with Shyla Heal posting a 50-point double-double to lead the Sydney Comets past the Penrith Panthers.

Round 13 of the 2024 season saw the penultimate batch of games take place around New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, as the finals approach at a rapid pace. With several teams vying for the remaining spots in the postseason, the matchups carry a heavy amount of signficance.

The Comets managed to sneak past the Panthers despite a strong showing from Penrith in the opening term of Friday night’s clash at Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre. The home side matched Sydney’s output on the offensive end, before the visitors broke away with a 29-19 second period that proved defining in the context of the match, and helped the Comets cruise home to a 13-point win.

Heal was the star of the show and completely dominated proceedings en route to one of the best statlines of the 2024 NBL1 season.

Penrith Panthers (84) def. by Sydney Comets (97)

Shyla Heal – 51 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, one steal, one block

Already an established name as one of the most damaging players in Australian basketball, Heal showed why she has that reputation with an astounding showing to single-handedly sink the Panthers.

Heal is one of the stars in the NBL1 East Women’s competition, and showed how capable she is of tearing a game open in more ways than one.

She simply exploded for a mammoth 51 points, accounting for over half of her side’s 97 points and proving the difference on the offensive end. Heal shot 17/29 from the field with an efficiency of 58 per cent, making every post a winner and proving a reliable source of scoring.

Although she was able to score freely inside the arc, Heal also knocked down eight three-pointers, stretching the floor and finding her eye from downtown. The opposition tried valiantly to shut her down at halfcourt, but it was to no avail.

Heal made it a double-double with 12 rebounds and six assists as well in a balanced showing that helped steer her side to victory. Those six assists came with zero turnovers, showing the level of care she showed with ball in hand, despite elevated defensive pressure.

Heal was an unstoppable force throughout the win over the Panthers, and justified her superstar status with one of the performances of 2024.