Robinson explosion helps David take down Goliath

• Broderick Robinson erupted for 41 points as Mavericks won an overtime thriller against star-studded Forestville Eagles
• Southern Tigers dominated inside with Lem Ajith scoring 28 points and grabbing nine rebounds in a win against Norwood Flames
• Jack Stanwix recorded five steals leading Central Districts to victory over Sturt Sabres

An offensive explosion from Broderick Robinson has helped the Eastern Mavericks take down the star-studded Forestville Eagles 120-119 overtime thriller to headline round two of the NBL1 Central competition.

Forestville went into the season as the championship favourites, boasting a roster featuring NBL star with the Adelaide 36ers in Dejan Vasiljevic as well as former 36er Alex Starling, NBL legend Daniel Johnson former NBL point guard Adam Doyle and high-flying import Greg Mays.

The Eagles went into the contest against Eastern riding a mountain of confidence after a dominant win over rivals, the Sturt Sabres in the opening round, but the Mavericks had other ideas in front of their home fans at the St Francis de Sales Community Sports Centre.

Eastern import Robinson detonated for 41 points on ab outstanding 9-from-14 shooting from beyond the arc as the Forestville defence had no answers for the dynamic guard as he led his team to a 2-0 start to the season. BJ Symons added 25 points and seven rebounds for the victorious Mavericks.

This back-and-forth battle featured 12 lead changes with neither team leading by more than six points in the final quarter.

Johnson was exceptional for Forestville with 36 points on efficient 14-from-21 shooting and seven rebounds, while Vasiljevic contributed 30 points including perfect 12-from-12 from the free-throw line. Starling recorded 23 points, nine rebounds and four steals in the losing effort.

Southern Tigers @ Norwood Flames

The Southern Tigers (2-0) secured a comprehensive 97-84 win against the Norwood Flames (0-2) at The ARC Campbelltown. Lem Ajith delivered a dominant performance with 28 points and nine rebounds, while Jarrod Molnar added 20 points including 4-of-7 from three-point range.

This victory extends Southern's perfect start to the season as they showed superior finishing, shooting 54.8% from the field compared to Norwood's 42.3%.

Cooper Osborne led the Flames with 23 points and five assists, while Walter Mcbride contributed 19 points, seven rebounds, and two steals in the losing effort. Southern's balanced attack featured four players scoring in double figures.

Central Districts @ Sturt Sabres

The Central Districts Lions (2-0) secured a 93-87 victory against the Sturt Sabres (0-2) at Springbank Secondary College.

Kalani Sapwell led the Lions with 20 points and seven assists on efficient 8-from-13 shooting, while Kevin Baker and Jack Stanwix each added 18 points.

Sturt's Sharif Black delivered a stellar performance with 33 points and 10 rebounds, recording the only double-double of the game.

Central Districts' relentless defence, highlighted by Stanwix's five steals, proved decisive in a contest that featured 26 lead changes. Efemena Abogidi controlled the glass with 13 rebounds along with 15 points for the Lions, who shot a solid 46.5% from the field.

North Adelaide @ Woodville Warriors

The Woodville Warriors (2-0) dominated the North Adelaide Rockets (0-2) 94-61 at St Clair Recreation Centre.

Nick Wurm led the Warriors with 23 points on outstanding 9-from-14 shooting, including 4-from-6 from three-point range, while Steven Parfitt recorded a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds in just 16 minutes.

Woodville's balanced attack saw five players score eight or more points as they controlled every facet of the game, including out-rebounding North Adelaide 45-34. The Warriors' defence was exceptional, forcing 22 turnovers while holding North Adelaide to dismal 38.3% shooting. Tobias Dowdell led the struggling Rockets with 13 points and five rebounds in the comprehensive defeat.

West Adelaide @ South Adelaide

Chris Brandon and Tom Kubank combined for 43 points to lead the South Adelaide Panthers to a nailbiting 77-75 win at the Mitchell Park Sports and Community Centre.

Trailing by two points at the three-quarter time break, the Panthers needed to find their best in the final quarter and they did that, recordinga 24-20 period to earn a hard-fought victory. Brandon also had nine points to go along with his 23 points while Kubank had 20.

NBL free agent Lat Mayen was superb for the Bearcats with 33 points, nine rebounds and three assists, playing all 40 minutes in the contest but it wasn't enough for the visitors to get a win.