A TOWERING offensive performance from veteran Mollie McKendrick helped the Southern Tigers record a massive win over the Central Districts Lions in Round 1 of the NBL Central Women’s, which took place over the weekend.

The Tigers and the Lions kicked off their 2026 campaigns at the Morphett Vale Basketball Stadium on Saturday evening, both eager to improve on their performances last year, having combined for just seven wins for the entire season. Saturday’s contest offered the chance to get off to a strong start this time around.

Southern was electric in the opening quarter, showing improved production on the offensive end and outscoring the Lions 32-18 to set the tone for the remainder of the match. The Tigers continued that dominance to stretch the lead out to 28 points by the main change, with the game essentially over after two quarters of play as the home side cruised home to a 22-point win.

McKendrick was the main source of scoring for the Tigers, absolutely dominating the paint for the victors and having her way in the low block to lead her team to an important Round 1 victory at home on Saturday.

Southern Tigers (85) def. Central Districts Lions (63)

Mollie McKendrick – 28 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals

McKendrick was the most damaging offensive player on the floor at the Morphett Vale Basketball Stadium, finding plenty of success scoring inside and helping set the tone for the Tigers, particularly in the opening 10 minutes of the game.

It took her less than 60 seconds to hit the scoreboard, nailing a jumpshot to open up her account for the match. After a strong start, she capped it off with a dominant finish to the first quarter, breaking the game open with her inside scoring.

In the final minute of the quarter, McKendrick nailed a pair of turnaround jumpers and an and-one layup in the last couple of seconds to help stretch her team’s lead out to 14 points, with McKendrick already having 12 points to her name in just 10 minutes of play.

She kept that momentum rolling into the second frame, showing that she had no intention of slowing down with another couple of early makes. After dropping 10 points in five minutes throughout the second quarter, McKendrick headed to the bench having put her side in a strong position on the scoreboard.

Although she was quieter in the second half, the veteran had already helped her side into a strong position offensively. Her work in the first half was immense at powering Southern’s offence and helped the home side create a matchwinning lead by the time the buzzer sounded to mark half time.

She finished the match with 28 points on 12/19 shooting from the field and 4/5 shooting from the charity stripe along with nine rebounds and three assists, showing that she could be in for a big season with the Tigers in 2026.