THE 2024 National Basketball League (NBL)1 Central Men’s competition started with a bang over the weekend, highlighted by a massive performance from Sharif Black in the Woodville Warriors’ win.

The Warriors got the better of the the West Adelaide Bearcats when the two sides locked horns at St Clair Recreation Centre on Saturday afternoon. The result means Woodville sits in third spot on the ladder after the first week of play, looking to continue that momentum moving forward.

Despite the final result, it was an extremely positive start to the match from the visitors, with the Bearcats scoring the first seven points of the game en route to a 33-24 lead at the first change. Woodville responded in a big way by winning the remaining three quarters of the match, slamming the door shut with a dominant final quarter to claim a 104-93 win.

The result would not have been possible if not for the performance of Black, who poured in over a third of his team’s total points in a magnificent scoring outing.

Woodville Warriors (104) def. West Adelaide Bearcats (93)

Sharif Black – 39 points, nine rebounds, five assists

Black was the round’s leading scorer in an outstanding offensive showing to start the 2024 season, setting the benchmark for scoring performances.

His 39 points defined the game, helping the Warriors break away on the scoreboard after a disappointing first quarter from the hosts.

The guard had a pair of lay-ups in the first quarter, but the Warriors were looking to get shots off through other players, and he was being a bit passive with ball in hand. As a result, his team trailed at quarter time with plenty of work to do.

Black checked back into the game in the second quarter, and made an immediate impact on the glass, pulling down a pair of defensive rebounds to help Woodville drag itself back into the contest. He was on the receiving end of an unsportsmanlike foul from Mirko Djeric, and made the opposition pay at the charity stripe.

These plays marked the start of an excellent end to the half from Black, who took over the match with some magnificent individual scoring plays. He began to get to his spots off the dribble, and found his rhythm from behind the arc, breaking down the opposition off the dribble and finding the bottom of the net. A nasty step-back three-pointer on the eve of half time gave the Warriors a one-point lead at the main break, and the momentum heading into the second half.

He showed no signs of slowing down after the big change, nailing another shot from behind the arc in the first minute of the third quarter. The Bearcats defended him well for most of the third quarter, and his shot was not quite as consistent in the penultimate period, and the visitors were still within striking distance as a result.

With just a four-point lead at three-quarter time, Black delivered another explosive scoring patch, proving too much for the defence in the final 10 minutes of the game. Whether it was step-back triples or and-one jumpshots, Black took over when it mattered most, putting the team on his back and looking aggressive wherever possible.

He finished the match shooting 13/23 from the field and an accurate 6/9 from three-point territory in an extremely accurate showing. He was also impressive on the glass and as a playmaker, but his scoring was irrepressible.