THE newest National Basketball League (NBL)1 division was back in action over the weekend, with the East competition holding Round 3 of the 2024 season.

Now that the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence (BA CoE) have returned to the competition, all teams are in play and it is business as usual, with a whopping 12 games taking place in both the Men’s and Women’s fixtures from Friday to Sunday.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be taking a look at the standout performances from both divisions, after some big numbers were posted over the weekend. This time, Christopher Bryant and Mikayla Pivec have taken home the honour after stuffing the stat sheet in Round 3.

Christopher Bryant (Hills Hornets) vs. Central Coast Crusaders

39 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks

Bryant exploded on the scoring front for the Hornets to lead his team to a 93-83 win over the Crusaders at Breakers Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday night.

The visiting side looked in control for most of the match, building on an 11-point quarter time buffer to lead by 17 at the final change, and although the Crusaders looked much better in the fourth, it was too little, too late, as Hills got the job done by 10 points.

Bryant was just about unstoppable for the winning side, delivering a game-breaking offensive performance that was too much for the defence to contain.

His 39 points were obviously the most of any player on the court, and proved the difference in a game that was not necessarily too high-scoring. Acting as the team’s go-to option on the offensive end, the big man did exactly what he needed to with ball in hand.

He shot 16/24 from the field, doing most of his work from two-point range with some crafty work under the basket. Of the 18 shots he took from inside the arc, he missed just four, punishing the opposition for allowing him to get to his spots.

Putting the team on his back, Bryant was superb at scoring the basketball and was one of the biggest reasons his side was victorious.

Mikayla Pivec (Albury-Wodonga Bandits) in Round 3

vs. BA CoE – 19 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists
vs. Norths Bears – 13 points, 10 rebounds, six assists

Pivec did a bit of everything as the Bandits went 2-0 over the span of Friday and Saturday in the Women’s division over the weekend.

Combining for 32 points over two games, she was an excellent second-fiddle on the offensive end to superstar Lauren Jackson, and the pair ripped teams apart. Taking smart shots, Pivec was a crucial part of getting the Bandits to a winning score.

Coming up against some inexperienced frontcourts, she gobbled up plenty of rebounds over her side’s two wins. Using clever positioning to get front spot at a consistent basis, Pivec’s 20 rebounds were a strong sign of her willingness to do the dirty work.

As a playmaker, she certainly combined well with Jackson to get her superstar teammate open from the field. Pivec’s timely passing was particularly impressive in the game against the CoE, where she poured in 10 dimes in an excellent display of playmaking.

She ended the weekend averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists over two games in a stat-stuffing round.