Heta dropped 21 points - including a treble of three-pointers in quick time - while Muir drained 17 as the Eagles knocked off the Dubbo Rams at Sir Neville Howse Stadium on Saturday night.

Heta and Muir were expected to lead from the front, and the hugely experienced pair did just that as the Eagles turned a first-quarter deficit around to lead at every other change and eventually win 54-49 in the tournament opener, but it was his side's young, development players that surprised Eagles' master coach Craig Harvey.

The Orange mentor was thrilled with his young brigade - namely Abbey Philpott.

Philpott scored nine points and made an immediate impact on the glass when she stepped on to the court.

"The young girls, I was blown away by Abbey Philpott, she brought us back to within two at the first quarter. She dominated the boards," Harvey said.

"Our development players, Samantha (Harvey) went on and little Rach (Masling), no one let me down and I was really comfortable to get them out there. They did extremely well. I was very proud of all of them."

It was Philpott's injection that brought the home side back to just 16-14 deficit at the end of the first quarter before Heta made her presence felt in the second.

The former NSW star made it rain from the three-point line in the second term, knocking down three three-pointers to contribute heavily to an 18-point second term for the hosts.

It proved a decisive quarter, too, as Dubbo clawed back some points in the third before Orange starved the visiting Rams of possession in the final term to close it out on home court, securing a five-point win despite Dubbo gun Amelia Raidaveta scoring a game-high 22 points.

Harvey said Heta and Muir were tremendous in leading the Eagles to victory. The pair looms as a key duo ahead of tough away trips to Bathurst and Lithgow in consecutive weeks.

"You expect Sophie to step up but I thought she was sensational," Harvey added.

"It's only been a really short lead-in to the competition, so we'll continue to work on some combos, but defensively I thought we were great."

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