IN a match that went down to the wire and needed an extra period to decide a winner, Alex Wilson‘s individual performance caught the eye in the NBL1 Central Women’s over the weekend.

Wilson’s Norwood Flames took on the Woodville Warriors at The ARC in Campbelltown on Saturday night, with the former coming into the game as favourites. The Flames have been one of the better sides in the 2023 season, and look a genuine chance of winning it all this year. On the other hand, it has been a troublesome campaign for the Warriors, having secured just four wins coming into Saturday’s clash and in need of a lift if they were to cause an upset.

Woodville showed that it was up for the fight from the opening quarter, outscoring Norwood 22-15 and stunning the crowd with a strong start to the match. As expected, the Flames dragged themselves back into the contest, but still could not quite get on top on the scoreboard, with the Warriors doing enough on the offensive end to ensure they still led by four at the main change.

The Flames got back to their high-scoring best in the third, but it was not enough to completely overrun the opposition, and following a tense finish to the fourth, the game headed to overtime. In the end, Norwood’s class and scoring power was too much for a valiant Warriors side, claiming a nine-point win.

Wilson was an undeniable presence in the Flames’ hard-fought win, posting some impressive numbers and leading the team in a number of facets of the game.

Norwood Flames (108) def. Woodville Warriors (99)

Alex Wilson – 24 points, 18 rebounds, 16 assists, five steals

In a game where the Flames were pushed to their best by a brave Woodville side, Wilson stepped up and drove her side to a win in a tireless performance, playing 45 minutes and never looking too fatigued to impact the contest.

Although it was not her most accurate shooting performance, Wilson still managed to be one of the game’s leading scorers, thanks to her ability to draw contact and head to the charity stripe. She nailed five shots on 17 attempts from the field, but nailed 12 free throws, missing just two shots from this domain and making the most of the opposition’s undisciplined defence.

Her 18 rebounds played a key role in the match too, going head to head with Emily Winter, who had herself a game as well with 16 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. The two went head to head in a number of areas of the game, but mainly on the glass. Although the pair would split the chocolates in the rebounding battle, Wilson’s work in securing possession for her side could not be understated.

Wilson’s playmaking was also a crucial cog in keeping Norwood’s offence moving. She was the focal point of the team in the halfcourt, and controlled the Flames’ sets expertly. With the likes of Jorjah Smith (29 points), Sharna Thompson (23 points) and Alek Akuen (17 points) all in strong scoring form, Wilson was able to pick the gaps and put those players in the best possible position.

Although she played 45 minutes and put so much energy into offensive production, Wilson made sure to stay active down the other end, recording five steals in the process. It helped generate plenty of transition offence for the Flames, and proved to be another important facet of the game for Norwood.

Wilson delivered one of the most impressive statlines of the season, and worked extremely hard to ensure her side held on for an overtime win.