George cameo perfect warm-up for WNBA

THE fleeting cameo from Cairns’ Cayla George is complete, but the Australian Opals star has signed off with a brilliant performance to help the Hobart Huskies start their NBL1 season with consecutive victories.

George produced a huge double-double to lift the Huskies past Nunawading at the Kingborough Sports Stadium over the weekend.

The WNBA-bound George finished with a game-high 27 points (10-16 shooting) and 17 rebounds as the hosts held off the Spectres 87-75.

“I came in and got some game fitness and had a good time with two wins,” George said. In other NBL1 action, former Snake Damon Heuir dropped eight points and grabbed four rebounds in his debut performance for Knox.

■ Second-year Gold Coast Sun Jacob Heron pushed his chances for a senior recall by being named in the club’s best players in their Round 1 NEAFL clash.

The Suns fell by 11-points to Canberra first-up, fighting back from a big early deficit as they kicked seven last term goals to give themselves a chance.

Heron was named in the Suns’ best in an encouraging start to 2019. In the NAB League, Centrals Trinity Beach junior Michael Selsby kicked a goal as the Suns beat Brisbane. ■ Australia and New Zealand will be represented in US college basketball’s biggest game of the year today.

Cairns guard Kody Stattmann, Auckland centre Jack Salt and their University of Virginia Cavaliers survived a thriller on Saturday to defeat the Auburn University Tigers 63-62 and book a place against Texas Tech in today’s NCAA Final in Minneapolis.

It is the first time Virginia has made the final.