RECENT Perth Wildcats signing Cameron Huefner delivered a big-time performance in the NBL1 Central Men’s Grand Final over the weekend, leading his West Adelaide Bearcats past the Central Districts Lions to the ultimate prize.

The Bearcats and the Lions clashed in the 2025 decider at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday night, with the latter entering as heavy favourites. Central Districts won straight through to the decider after winning its semi-final clash, while the Bearcats continued their remarkable run to the big dance from outside the top four, winning all of their postseason clashes.

After the Lions jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter and fired up the home crowd, West Adelaide responded as emphatically as possible in the second frame, outscoring Central Districts 25-12 to take control of the contest. The action was back and forth in the second half, which allowed the Bearcats to hold on for victory.

Huefner was the star of the show for the Bearcats in the Grand Final, stepping up on the big stage with a crucial offensive performance with their season on the line and giving Wildcats fans plenty of hope for the future.

Central Districts Lions (73) def. by West Adelaide Bearcats (83)

Cameron Huefner – 22 points, five rebounds, two steals

The former University of Texas forward was immense in the win over the Lions in Saturday’s decider, producing one of his most impressive scoring performances of 2025 and showing he is built to perform under bright lights.

It was a quiet start to the match for the 23-year-old, who could not hit the scoreboard in the opening frame as the Lions got on top and out to a solid buffer. Although he was getting to his spots, Huefner went scoreless in the first 10 minutes of the game, and the Bearcats were really missing his injection of offence.

He got going in the second quarter, stripping the ball from the opposition’s grasp and drawing a foul in transition to earn a trip to the free throw line, where he converted both shots. It sparked him on the scoring front, as Huefner knocked down his first three-pointer shortly after and West Adelaide snatched the momentum.

The young talent kept rolling with a driving layup a minute later to tie up proceedings as his inside scoring became a true factor in the match. He threw down a pair of emphatic slams in the final minutes of the half to keep West Adelaide in control and give his team plenty of energy heading into the main break in a crucial patch of play within the context of the match.

Huefner continued to get to the basket and finish his dunks to open the second half, before nailing his second three-pointer of the contest a couple of minutes into the third quarter to keep the Bearcats rolling offensively. The forward had one more make for the term in the form of another nice driving layup through traffic, and the Bearcats led by nine points at the final change as a result.

Huefner nailed a nice floater to start the fourth frame, before heading to the bench with his side firmly in control of proceedings. However, he was forced to come back into the contest with the Bearcats’ lead cut down to just five points midway through the term. Although he did not hit the scoreboard for the remainder of the contest, he drew in defenders and allowed his teammates to get clean looks and seal the game.

Huefner finished the match with 22 points on 9/17 shooting from the field to go with his five rebounds and two steals, earning Grand Final MVP as a reward for his performance. He appears to be ready to make the leap to NBL level and is one of the most exciting prospects on Perth’s roster for the 2025/26 season.