OVER the weekend, the National Basketball League (NBL)1 East competition held its fourth round of the the 2024 season, and there were some massive performances across the men’s and women’s divisions.

So far this season, there have been some massive numbers posted in NSW and ACT, with the East competition recruiting some massive names over the off-season.

Round 4 saw some of the best individual outings of the year, with some big figures coming from both divisions, and some cracking contests taking place over the ANZAC Round.

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, Mason Bragg and Lizzy Tonks take home the respective honours in the Men’s and Women’s outings.

Mason Bragg (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles) vs. Sydney Comets

24 points, 13 rebounds, 16 assists, three steals, one block

It was a stat-stuffing performance from Bragg in the 23-point win over the Comets at Northern Beaches Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday evening.

After a tightly contested first half, after which the Sea Eagles took a two-point lead into the main break, Manly Warringah took over in the final 20 minutes of play. The home side outscored Sydney 50-29, and ended up with a hefty 96-73 triumph.

The experienced point guard was everywhere in the win, including as a scorer with a game-high 24 points on 9/19 shooting from the field. Bragg showed the ability to score across all three levels, and was reasonably accurate from behind the arc with three makes on six attempts.

He has always played above his position when it comes to rebounding impact, and showed that with another excellent performance on the glass. Although there were certainly some taller players on the court, Bragg was still the game’s leading rebounder with 13 boards, and 11 of those coming on the defensive end.

Perhaps the most impressive facet of his outing was his work as a playmaker, helping generate consistent offence for the Sea Eagles in the second half when the Comets faded away. He ran pick and roll plays to perfection and was magnificent at finding his teammates in open spots.

It was a strong showing in all aspects of the game, and was the standout on a weekend full of impressive performances.

Lizzy Tonks (Canberra Nationals) vs. Bankstown Bruins

35 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, five steals

Although there were plenty of standout showings in the women’s division, Tonks had the biggest impact on both ends of the floor as her team emerged winners against the Bruins.

Taking on Bankstown at Southern Cross Basketball Stadium in Tuggeranong on Sunday afternoon, Canberra took over after the opening period, completely shutting Bankstown for the remainder of the match and cruising home to a 99-80 triumph.

Tonks was the leading scorer for the Nationals and second for the match (behind Violet Morrow‘s 40 points for Bankstown), and led from the front as the home side proved too much after quarter time.

The 26-year-old was reasonably efficient from the field, shooting 11/19, and exploding from behind the arc with eight triples on 12 attempts. It was from long range that she did her best work, showing that distance is not a factor as she found the bottom of the net at a high clip.

Not only was she an excellent scoring presence, she also impacted the game on the glass and as a playmaker, producing eight rebounds and eight assists, largely due to the Nationals looking to get the ball into her hands at whatever cost.

Defensively, Tonks ensured she had active hands throughout the game, plucking the ball from the opposition on five occasions and reading passes and dribble motions better than anyone else.

In an impressive performance from Canberra as a team, Tonks was the standout with a tremendous two-way performance.