Featured image: P2DK Photography | @p2dk_photography | Paul Shaw
Courtney Woods and Carlie Smith led the Darwin Salties and Sunshine Coast Phoenix to breakthrough NBL1 North wins while there were match winning performances from Deng Deng, Matur Maker, Sam McDaniel, Reed Nottage and Lual Diing.
The women's results saw the Ipswich Force beat the Logan Thunder 79-74, the Rockhampton Cyclones defeat the North Gold Coast Seahawks 84-73, the South West Metro Pirates down the Northside Wizards 78-68, the Townsville Flames win 95-78 over the Brisbane Capitals.
The Sunshine Coast Phoenix also defeated the Gold Coast Rollers 75-67 and the Darwin Salties beat the Mackay Meteorettes 75-61.
Then in the men's matches, the Force beat the Thunder 90-71, the Rockets defeated the Seahawks 118-89, the Wizards downed the Pirates 117-103, the Capitals won 106-79 against the Heat, the Rollers defeated the Phoenix 94-77, and the Meteors beat the Salties 106-101.
RECAP NBL1 NORTH | ROUND 12 FRIDAY
WOMEN
Ipswich Force (79) defeated Logan Thunder (74)
The Ipswich Force dealt a cruel blow to the playoff aspirations of the Logan Thunder with the 79-74 victory at home with Amanda Cahill, Kahlaijah Dean and Claire Fraser combining for 63 points.
Ipswich might have come into the game at home at JBS Stadium out of the playoff race with two wins on the season, but one of those was last up against the Sunshine Coast Phoenix.
They were looking to win consecutive games for the first time this season but Logan did need to keep winning themselves to stay in playoff contention on the back of last week's win over the Brisbane Capitals.
It was a tight contest throughout the first half and even though Ipswich led by five points in the first term, Logan had got things back level by quarter-time.
It was a similar story in the second period with the Force getting out to a 10-point advantage but by half-time the Thunder were back within just the three points.
It was Logan's turn to work on top in the third quarter to lead by as much as nine points, but Ipswich took over once more in the final stanza with 26 points to 18 which saw them hold on for the eventual five-point victory.
The win improves Ipswich to a 3-11 record on the season with Amanda Cahill ending up with 22 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots on 8/13 shooting.
Kahlaijah Dean also had 21 points, 10 rebounds and three assists on 6/10 shooting from the floor and 8/10 at the line while Claire Fraser contributed 20 points on 8/10 shooting.
Logan slips further from playoff contention with the loss to be 6-8 despite Mikhaela Cann top-scoring with 26 points, four rebounds and four assists on 5/11 three-point shooting.
Sharnie Reisinger added 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks, Jade Kirisome 12 points, and Chevannah Paalvast 10 points, 12 boards, four steals and three assists.
Logan will again be in action on Sunday hosting the Rockhampton Cyclones while Ipswich will be on the road the last three games starting next Saturday to the North Gold Coast Seahawks.
IPSWICH FORCE 79 (Cahill 22, Dean 21, Fraser 20)
LOGAN THUNDER 74 (Cann 26, Reisinger 12, Kirisome 12)
North Gold Coast Seahawks (73) lost to Rockhampton Cyclones (84)
The Rockhampton Cyclones kept their winning form going in the middle game of their road triple-header with the 84-73 victory against the North Gold Coast Seahawks.
The Cyclones started their three-game weekend with the 24-point Friday night victory against the Gold Coast Rollers as they took on a Seahawks team at Runaway Bay Stadium also trying to consolidate their spot as high up on the table as possible.
Rockhampton managed to open up a six-point lead by the end of the first quarter but North Gold Coast got on a roll in the third term with 25 points to 15 to go into the main break leading 44-40.
It was then all the Cyclones in the third frame as the visitors piled on 26 points to 13 and on the back of that their lead got out to as much 14 points and they would end up securing the 11-point victory.
The victory improves Rockhampton to an 11-3 record on the season to closing in further on second spot with Lara McSpadden delivering 23 points and 11 rebounds on 9/14 shooting from the floor.
Sam Bowman also had 16 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocked shots with Morgan Yaeger contributing 15 points, eight boards, three assists and two steals, and Lauren Heard 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals.
Elizajane Loader added 11 points, three assists and two rebounds as well for the Cyclones.
North Gold Coast slips to a 10-5 record on the back of the loss with Miela Goodchild producing another 28 points, two assists and two steals on 16/17 at the foul line.
Majella Carey added 11 points and six rebounds, Chailee Ward 11 points, four boards and two assists, Mikaela Ruef 11 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, and Grace Champion six points, five rebounds and two assists.
Rockhampton completes the exhausting triple-header on the road against Logan Thunder on Sunday with the Seahawks at home to the Ipswich Force next Saturday.
NORTH GOLD COAST SEAHAWKS 73 (Goodchild 28, Ruef 11, Ward 11, Carey 11)
ROCKHAMPTON CYCLONES 84 (McSpadden 23, Bowman 16, Heard 16)
Northside Wizards (68) lost to South West Metro Pirates (78)
The undefeated run of the reigning champion Northside Wizards is over with the South West Metro Pirates scoring the stunning upset 78-68 Saturday night victory.
On the back of winning last year's NBL1 North championship, the Wizards had gone through answering every challenge so far in 2024 to be undefeated ahead of being back at Northside Indoor Sports Centre.
They were playing host to a Pirates team coming off a 44-point loss seven days earlier as well at the hands of the Townsville Flames so there was nothing to suggest what was to come.
South West Metro managed to make a stunning start going on a 10-0 run in the first quarter to open up an 11-point lead before still being up 21-13 by quarter-time.
The Wizards were always going to hit back and the defending champions managed their own 10-0 scoring run to grab the lead and then it was South West Metro only narrowly leading 39-36 by half-time.
It was set for a big finish but the Wizards were to taste defeat for the first time in just about right on 12 months with their 17-game winning streak coming to an end with the Pirates going on a 9-0 run in the final quarter.
That saw them open up the winning 10-point lead to see them improve to an 8-6 record to remain solid in the top six with Leah Scott continuing her hot run of form with 30 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and two steals.
Alana Fraser also had 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks while Taya Hanson added 15 points, three boards and three assists, and Charlotte Whittaker six points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.
The Wizards are now 14-1 on the season but do remain clear in top spot with Nadeen Payne having finished with 17 points and nine rebounds while Erin Bollmann contributed 16 points, nine boards and four assists.
AJ Johnson also had 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals with Jess McDowell-White contributing 10 points, four boards and three assists.
The Wizards are away for their last two games beginning next Saturday against the Sunshine Coast Phoenix with the Pirates up against the Sunshine Coast Phoenix at home on Friday night.
NORTHSIDE WIZARDS 68 (Payne 17, Bollmann 16, Johnson 12)
SOUTH WEST METRO PIRATES 78 (Scott 30, Fraser 16, Hanson 15)
Brisbane Capitals (78) lost to Townsville Flames (95)
The Townsville Flames hit back from Friday night's loss to beat the Brisbane Capitals 95-78 on Saturday with Indiah Bowyer, Alex Fowler and Ella Tofaeono combining for 66 points.
Townsville began its double on the road this weekend with a loss to the Southern Districts Spartans ahead of taking on the seventh placed Capitals at Auchenflower Stadium who are still holding out hopes of breaking into the top six.
It was the Caps who had the better of the start going out to a seven-point lead in the first quarter but the Flames were able to get scores back level by quarter-time.
Brisbane again pulled away to a nine-point advantage in the second period and this time maintained most of that edge to be leading 50-43 by the half-time break.
However, Townsville produced a massive third quarter with 35 points to 19 to turn the game on its head and then from there cruise to the eventual 17-point victory away from home.
The win improves the Flames to a 12-3 record on the season to remain in second spot with Indiah Bowyer delivering 24 points, nine assists and three rebounds on 6/11 three-point shooting.
Alex Fowler added 21 points, six rebounds, six steals and three assists, Ella Tofaeono 21 points and eight boards on 8/9 shooting, Kate Gaze 15 points and five assists, and Katherine Andersen 10 points, nine assists, five steals and four rebounds.
Brisbane missed a chance to break into the top six now sitting on a 7-7 record with two straight losses but Lil Dart did all she could with 31 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals on 12/18 shooting.
Hannah Young added 13 points, four rebounds and two assists, Hannah Hank 10 points, eight boards and four assists, and Megan Mullings 10 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots.
The Capitals will be on the road to the Southern Districts Spartans on Friday night with Townsville heading up to the Top End to play the Darwin Salties next Saturday.
BRISBANE CAPITALS 78 (Dart 31, Young 13, Hank 10, Mullings 10)
TOWNSVILLE FLAMES 95 (Bowyer 24, Fowler 21, Tofaeono 21)
Sunshine Coast Phoenix (75) defeated Gold Coast Rollers (67)
One of the teams was going to snap their losing slide and it was the Sunshine Coast Phoenix who got the job done with the 75-67 home victory against the Gold Coast Rollers.
Coming into the match up at Maroochydore Stadium and Sunshine Coast were on a seven-game losing run while Gold Coast had lost their previous five including on Friday night against the Rockhampton Cyclones.
So both teams were looking to start building some positive energy to finish the season with and it was Gold Coast leading by a solitary point at quarter-time.
It remained a close contest all the way with no more than eight points separating the two teams, but that eight-point margin was in favour of the Rollers and it happened to be in the last quarter.
Sunshine Coast ended up outscoring Gold Coast 39 points to 33 in the second half to end up winning by those eight points to record a first win since May 11 and to improve to a 2-12 record.
Carlie Smith was the star in the win for Sunshine Coast with 27 points and 14 rebounds while landing 7/9 at the foul line.
Haylee Andrews also had 15 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists for the Phoenix, and Nicola Handreck 24 points and six boards.
Gold Coast has now lost six in-a-row to be 3-12 on the season with Kate Deeble top-scoring with 18 points and five assists.
Myah Selland also had 13 points and seven rebounds, Emma Petrie 10 points and four boards, and Taylor Lee seven points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Sunshine Coast will be on the road against the South West Metro Pirates on Friday night with Gold Coast away to the Brisbane Capitals next Saturday.
SUNSHINE COAST PHOENIX 75 (Smith 27, Handreck 24, Andrews 15)
GOLD COAST ROLLERS 67 (Deeble 18, Selland 13, Petrie 10)
Darwin Salties (75) defeated Mackay Meteorettes (61)
Courtney Woods returned for the Darwin Salties and helped to deliver them the bounce back 75-61 victory at home to the Mackay Meteorettes.
The Salties had lost their previous four matches coming into Saturday night's match up at Darwin Basketball Stadium up against a Mackay team fresh off beating the Cairns Dolphins to start their weekend on Friday night.
The Salties made a fast start to be leading by eight points at quarter-time and then having completed a 14-0 run they went up by as much as 13 points in the second term.
However, Mackay fired back and by half-time had cut the lead of Darwin back to 41-36.
The Meteors finished the first half with momentum and kept that going coming out of the break to make it a 13-0 scoring streak, and to grab a five-point lead.
But the Salties were again able to turn things back in their favour and would end up leading by as much as 16 points in the fourth quarter and to win in the end by 14.
Courtney Woods made a significant difference for the Salties as they snapped the four-game losing streak to improve to an 8-7 record. She finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
Ruby Porter also had 13 points, four steals, three assists and two rebounds, Cat MacGregor nine points, six boards and three assists, Abigail Curtin eight points, 13 rebounds and two assists, and Ashley Harris eight points, three rebounds and three steals.
Mackay is now 6-9 on the season having split its two games on the weekend on the road with Taylor Mole putting up another 15 points and five rebounds.
Chelsea Brook added 10 points and 12 rebounds, Samantha Haiby 10 points, three steals, three assists and two boards, and Cheyenne Bobongie 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
The Salties remain at home the rest of the season and will host the Townsville Flames next Saturday with Mackay heading home to host the Cairns Dolphins on Friday night.
DARWIN SALTIES 75 (Woods 23, Porter 13, MacGregor 9)
MACKAY METEORETTES 61 (Mole 15, Bobongie 12, Brook 10, Haiby 10)
MEN
Ipswich Force (90) defeated Logan Thunder (71)
There was no Nathan Sobey but Deng Deng came up huge for the defending champion Ipswich Force to score the 90-71 home victory over Logan Thunder.
Logan came into the match up sitting in third position on the table and having won its last two matches with the chance to replace Darwin in second spot ahead of facing the Force at JBS Stadium.
It was an Ipswich team missing Grand Final MVP and NBL superstar Sobey as well, and Logan started the better to be leading 26-23 by quarter-time.
Ipswich took charge in the second quarter, though, and outscored the Thunder 23 points to 11 to go into half-time with the 46-37 lead.
The Force then totally dominated the second half going out to a lead as much as 17 points in the third quarter and 23 in the fourth before winning by 19 and improving to 5-9 on the season as a result.
Deng Deng put up 29 points, 12 rebounds, five steals and three blocked shots for Ipswich while DJ Mitchell delivered 17 points, five boards, three assists and two steals, Henry Pwono 14 points and seven rebounds, and Michael Fleming 12 points and three steals.
Logan slips to 10-4 with the defeat despite Callum Dalton producing 24 points and 15 rebounds while Zac Triplett added 15 points and seven boards, and Shaun Bruce 11 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Logan will again be in action on Sunday hosting the Rockhampton Rockets while Ipswich will be on the road the last three games starting next Saturday to the North Gold Coast Seahawks.
IPSWICH FORCE 90 (Deng 29, Mitchell 17, Pwono 14)
LOGAN THUNDER 71 (Dalton 24, Triplett 15, Bruce 11)
North Gold Coast Seahawks (89) lost to Rockhampton Rockets (118)
The Rockhampton Rockets bounced back from a tough start to their triple-header on the road by delivering a monstrous second half to beat the North Gold Coast Seahawks 118-89.
Rockhampton's road triple started with a heartbreaking loss on Friday to the Gold Coast Rollers so they arrived at Runaway Bay Stadium to take on the Seahawks on Saturday high on motivation to bounce back to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Seahawks were trying to bounce back from a three-game losing streak of their own but it was Rockhampton who started the better with 29 points to 19 in the first quarter.
That was when the twists started with North Gold Coast taking control in the second frame by putting up 36 points to 26 and that meant scores were all level at 55-55 by half-time.
While the Rockets were playing their second of three games this weekend, they were the ones that found an extra gear in the second half with 29 points to 14 in the third quarter, and 34 to 20 in the fourth.
That saw Rockhampton end up scoring the 29-point victory to improve to a 7-7 record to close in on a top six spot with Matur Maker a dominant force with 32 points, 12 rebounds, five blocks, three assists and two steals.
He shot 11/17 from the field and 9/9 at the free-throw line.
Nighael Ceaser was frustrated to foul out late the night before against Gold Coast but he responded with 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks on 12/17 shooting.
Xavier Ford also had 19 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals with Ben Tweedy contributing 11 points, 13 assists and six boards.
It's a tough loss to take for North Gold Coast who have now lost four straight to be 5-10 on the season with Nathaniel Salmon producing a big performance with 26 points and seven rebounds on 4/7 three-point shooting.
Cameron Healy added 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, Matt Kenyon 16 points, nine boards, four assists and two steals, and Kane Bishop 13 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Rockhampton completes the exhausting triple-header on the road against Logan Thunder on Sunday with the Seahawks at home to the Ipswich Force next Saturday.
NORTH GOLD COAST SEAHAWKS 89 (Salmon 26, Healy 16, Kenyon 16)
ROCKHAMPTON ROCKETS 118 (Maker 32, Ceaser 27, Ford 19)
Northside Wizards (117) defeated South West Metro Pirates (103)
It took until the last quarter but eventually the Northside Wizards pulled away from the South West Metro Pirates for the 117-103 win to get off bottom spot in the NBL1 North in the process.
The two teams came into the match up at Northside Indoor Sports Centre sitting on four wins for the season so the reward for the winner would be to move clear of that wooden spoon position.
It was a tight contest throughout the opening three quarters as well especially in the first half with both teams having their turn of the lead but Northside narrowly in front by two points at quarter-time and by seven at half-time.
It was back to just a four-point lead for the Wizards at three quarter-time, but the home team then dominated the final term with 32 points to 22 to push that final margin out to 14 points.
The win improves the Wizards to a 5-10 record on the season with Lual Diing coming up huge with 27 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks on 10/13 shooting from the floor and 4/7 from three-point range.
Jackson Makoi also had 25 points and 12 assists with Jamie Ahale contributing 23 points, four rebounds and three assists, Deshawn Ross-Paiwan 16 points on 3/3 three-point shooting, and Nikau McCullough 13 points, four rebounds and two assists.
The Pirates welcomed back Lamar Patterson but the presence of the former NBL import wasn’t quite enough as they slipped to a 4-10 record.
Patterson's return saw him produce 31 points, six assists, five steals and three rebounds on 9/17 shooting from the field, 4/9 from downtown and 9/12 at the charity stripe.
Ben Volkman added 20 points and 10 rebounds for South West Metro, Roman Siulepa 19 points, four boards, two assists and two steals, and Brendan Teys 16 points, three rebounds and two assists.
The Wizards are away for their last two games beginning next Saturday against the Sunshine Coast Phoenix with the Pirates up against the Sunshine Coast Phoenix at home on Friday night.
NORTHSIDE WIZARDS 117 (Diing 27, Makoi 25, Ahale 23)
SOUTH WEST METRO PIRATES 103 (Patterson 31, Volkman 20, Siulepa 19)
Brisbane Capitals (106) defeated Townsville Heat (79)
Sam McDaniel had 35 points and a near triple-double to lead the way in a dominant 106-79 home win for the Brisbane Capitals against the Townsville Heat.
The Capitals were back home at Auchenflower Stadium looking to hit back from last week's loss to Logan Thunder up against a Townsville team fresh off also losing on Friday night to the Southern Districts Spartans.
The Caps needed to keep winning to stay in touch of the top three teams too and they started on fire on their home floor with 22 points to 10 in the opening period.
Brisbane continued to dominate the rest of the way too with the lead getting out to as much as 17 points in the second quarter, 28 in the third and 34 in the fourth before they would end up scoring the 27-point victory.
The win improves the Capitals to a 9-5 record on the season with Brisbane Bullets NBL star Sam McDaniel producing a brilliant all-round display that included 35 points on 12/22 shooting from the floor and 9/9 at the foul line.
McDaniel also pulled down 11 rebounds and dished out nine assists.
His Bullets teammate Gabe Hadley also had 25 points on 6/14 three-point shooting with Isaih Tueta contributing 12 points and four assists, Cameron Thew 12 points and 15 rebounds, and Matthew Johns six points, nine boards and three assists.
Townsville is now 4-11 with the double loss weekend with Ethan Betts putting up 24 points and three assists while Chris Kann contributed 11 points and eight assists, Kyle Leslie nine points and seven rebounds, and Harrison Pennisi eight points and nine boards.
The Capitals will be on the road to the Southern Districts Spartans on Friday night with Townsville heading up to the Top End to play the Darwin Salties next Saturday.
BRISBANE CAPITALS 106 (McDaniel 35, Hadley 25, Thew 12, Tueta 12)
TOWNSVILLE HEAT 79 (Betts 24, Kann 11, Leslie9)
Sunshine Coast Phoenix (77) lost to Gold Coast Rollers (94)
Reed Nottage continues to make a massive impact for the Gold Coast Rollers with another 27 points and six three-pointers in the 94-77 road win against the Sunshine Coast Phoenix.
Gold Coast was fresh off a thrilling Friday night win to the Rockhampton Rockets ahead of backing up on Saturday against the Phoenix at Maroochydore Stadium.
Sunshine Coast were coming into the contest like Gold Coast and still holding out hope of breaking into the top six having beaten the reigning champion Ipswich Force last week.
Both teams held five-point leads in the first quarter before it was Gold Coast on top 23-20 by quarter-time and then the Rollers put up 33 points to 24 in the second term.
That saw them leading 56-44 by the half-time interval and then after Sunshine Coast made a run with 10 straight points in the third term, Gold Coast took back control of the contest for good.
The Rollers scored 10 straight points of their own and would end up leading by as much as 20 in the final frame on the way to the eventual 17-point victory.
It's a double win weekend for Gold Coast to see them improve to an 8-8 record to stay in the playoff mix with Reed Nottage once again outstanding with 27 points, five rebounds and two steals on shooting 6/7 from three-point range.
Boston Mazlin added 24 points on 5/9 shooting from downtown while Daniel Titus contributed 15 points and nine rebounds, Preston Le Gassick 11 points and eight assists, and reigning MVP Jason Cadee nine points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.
Sunshine Coast slips to a 6-8 record with the defeat with Jeryn Lucas top-scoring with 20 points, three rebound and two assists on 4/8 three-point shooting.
Nelson Kahler added 13 points and 14 rebounds, Kobe McDowell-White 12 points and four assists, Darnell Robateau 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Duom Dawam 11 points and six boards, and Jamaal Robateau 10 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
Sunshine Coast will be on the road against the South West Metro Pirates on Friday night with Gold Coast away to the Brisbane Capitals next Saturday.
SUNSHINE COAST PHOENIX 77 (Lucas 20, Kahler 13, McDowell-White 12)
GOLD COAST ROLLERS 94 (Nottage 27, Mazlin 24, Titus 15)
Darwin Salties (101) lost to Mackay Meteors (106)
The Mackay Meteors came out on fire looking to hit back from their second loss of the season to set up the eventual 106-101 road victory against the shorthanded Darwin Salties.
It was a battle of top two teams in the NBL1 North at Darwin Basketball Stadium but the Salties were missing Kouat Noi, Sean Macdonald and Verle Williams.
Mackay arrived fresh off losing just its second game of the season the previous night on the road to the Cairns Marlins so they arrived in the Top End not shy on motivation in the top-of-the-table match up.
Coming off that loss the night before, the Meteors came out firing putting up 35 points to 23 in the first quarter to end up leading the Salties by as much as 18 points during the second quarter.
They had thrown the gauntlet down to the Salties and the shorthanded home team responded with an 11-0 run which saw them cut Mackay's lead at half-time back to 58-53.
The Meteors were able to push back out to a double-figure lead thanks to a 10-0 scoring run in the third period, though, and from there they were able to hold firm for the five-point victory.
The win improves Mackay to a 13-2 record on the season to move clear in top spot as a result with Luca Yates top-scoring with 20 points and seven rebounds on 9/10 shooting.
Isaac White equalled that with 19 points, five rebounds and three assists with Emmett Naar contributing 15 points and 13 assists, Aiden Krause 15 points and two rebounds, and Todd Blanchfield 14 points, 13 boards and five assists.
The Salties are now 11-4 to be two games now out of top spot with just two games in their season remaining with Deba George stepping up with 25 points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals on 9/13 shooting from the floor and 3/5 from downtown.
Makuach Maluach added 22 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks, Chier Maker 21 points and 10 boards, and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk 11 points, eight assists and four rebounds.
The Salties remain at home the rest of the season and will host the Townsville Heat next Saturday with Mackay heading home to host the Cairns Marlins on Friday night.
DARWIN SALTIES 101 (George 25, Maluach 22, Maker 21)
MACKAY METEORS 106 (Yates 20, White 19, Jamerson 18)
