A STARRING performance off the bench from Olivia Olechnowicz was a massive factor as the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence (BA CoE) defeated the Albury Wodonga Bandits to advance to the preliminary finals of the NBL1 East Women’s competition.

The CoE travelled to Lauren Jackson Sports Centre on Saturday night for their semi final matchup against the Bandits after defeating the Canberra Nationals in the elimination finals by a whopping 30 points as the team of young guns hit form at the right time of year. Although Albury Wodonga entered the clash as slight favourites given form and home court advantage, the CoE were always going to be one of the wildcards of the postseason.

It was a back and forth affair throughout the first three quarters, with momentum switching hands and the team of youngsters taking it right up to their experienced opponents. Trailing by four heading into the fourth term, the CoE took over in the fourth term, and held a three-point lead in the dying seconds of the match. Caitlyn Jones had the chance to send the game to overtime when she was fouled on a three-point attempt but missed two of her free throws as the CoE held on.

The victors would not have secured the win if not for the performance of Olechnowicz, who was electric off the bench and played a massive role in the CoE keeping their championship aspirations alive.

Albury Wodonga Bandits (73) def. by Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence (75)

Olivia Olechnowicz – 18 points, five rebounds, one assist, two steals

It was one of Olechnowicz’s best performances of 2025, with the 16-year-old stepping up on the big stage to give her side a crucial injection of offence, and show why she is a wildcard in the NBL1 East Women’s finals series.

She entered the game just over halfway through the first quarter, and picked up her first foul almost immediately. However, Olechnowicz responded down the other end by splashing home a three-pointer to open her scoring account and put her side up by two points.

She backed it up by nailing a driving layup through contact and converting the And-One to have the perfect start to the match. Finishing at the cup proved to be a winning strategy so she continued to pepper the basket for the remainder of the term, delivering another layup and pair of free throws to have 10 points to her name after less than five minutes of court time.

The second quarter was less damaging for Olechnowicz as she found herself in foul trouble, which limited her court time. She had committed three by the one-minute mark of the second term, so sat for most of the period and the Bandits got back in the contest to tie up proceedings at the main change.

The young gun was back involved in the third term, nailing a massive shot later in the quarter that kept her side in the game. After the Bandits had jumped out to a six-point buffer, Olechnowicz nailed her second triple of the match to cut that margin to three, and it was crucial within the contest of the game. She also chimed in for another made free throw and her offence was crucial in keeping the CoE within striking distance.

A pair of steals late in the third and early in the fourth showcased her excellent defensive instincts, and created scoring opportunities for some of her teammates. The CoE coaches kept her in the game as she had delivered a strong performance to this point, and it proved to be a winning strategy as she nailed some clutch baskets down the stretch.

It started with an aggressive drive to the cup that resulted in a pair of made free throws, while she nailed a driving layup shortly after to cut the margin to three points with four and a half minutes on the clock. She found Isabel Smith for an open three-pointer a couple of minutes later, and it was the CoE who were in control of the contest. Olechnowicz did have the chance to ice the game with 10 seconds on the clock, but left the door ajar after missing both of her free throws, although the CoE luckily held on.

She finished the game with 18 points and five rebounds on an accurate 5/7 shooting from the field and 2/4 shooting from behind the arc, as Olechnowicz announced herself as a key cog in the CoE’s championship hopes in the coming weeks.