NBL1 North Recap | Friday Men's Quarter Finals

There might have been just one NBL1 North quarter-final match up on Friday night and you couldn’t possibly have asked for any more between the Gold Coast Rollers and Logan Thunder.

The Rollers finished on top of the standings in the NBL1 North to be the regular season champions which saw them get to host the eighth ranked Thunder at Carrara Stadium, but it looked anything like a first against eighth battle.

Both teams suffered a savage personnel blow coming into the game two with their respective former Brisbane Bullets imports ruled out with the Rollers to be without Lamar Patterson and Thunder without inspirational captain Jeremy Kendle.

Obviously Patterson is a proven NBL match-winner so was a big loss for Gold Coast, but they have played the majority of the season around him but Kendle is the driving force behind everything Logan does.

Despite that, Logan put together a stunning performance especially in the third quarter to turn a three-point lead into a 12-point advantage in the fourth term.

Gold Coast was facing the real possibility of bowing out in the first round after finishing on top but they willed themselves back into it and eventually three free-throws from Donovan Mitchell put them up in the dying seconds.

Boston Mazlin was then fouled and he made one for Logan to tie scores up with the game going to overtime, but Gold Coast refused to lose on their home floor in what was a tremendous contest played in front of a terrific atmosphere.

The Rollers ended up winning 102-100 to advance to a semi-final also at home next Friday night against either Cairns or Ipswich while the season is over in heartbreaking fashion for the Thunder.

The other three quarter-final match ups will take place now on Saturday night with the Cairns Marlins hosting the Ipswich Force, Mackay Meteors at home to the Northside Wizards, and USC Rip City playing the Darwin Salties.

All games are elimination affairs with the winners to advance to the semi finals next weekend with spots in the Grand Final on the line.

Meanwhile, all four Women's quarter finals will take place on Saturday as well with the Southern Districts Spartans playing USC Rip City, the Brisbane Capitals facing the Northside Wizards, Logan Thunder at home to the Cairns Dolphins, and the Townsville Flames battling the Mackay Meteorettes.

NBL1 NORTH – 2022 MEN'S SEASON
QUARTER FINALS – FRIDAY NIGHT

GOLD COAST ROLLERS 102 defeated LOGAN THUNDER 100

The Logan Thunder threw everything at what might have been an almighty upset to open the NBL1 North finals series on Friday night and they were in the box seat, but the Gold Coast Rollers found a way to survive and advance.

After finishing the regular season on top of the ladder, the Rollers were the raging favourites coming into their quarter-final match up at Carrara Stadium on Friday night.

That was even more so the case when Logan came into the game without their spiritual leader, leading scorer and inspiration Jeremy Kendle.

While Gold Coast was also without Lamar Patterson, they had plenty of firepower left including Brisbane Bullets pair Jason Cadee and Tanner Krebs, but it was Boston Mazlin picking up the slack for Logan in the absence of Kendle.

He drained another three just before quarter-time but then Cadee threw up a halfcourt prayer that never looked like missing to tie scores up after one.

The Rollers then managed to work their way on top in the second term to lead by as much as nine points on the back of scoring seven consecutive points. But the Thunder had come to play and by half-time had worked their way on top 48-45.

Logan's lead then grew out to nine points during the third quarter and then suddenly a Max Kerle three-point bomb saw the Thunder's advantage grow to 12 points early in the fourth term and the upset was not only possible, but looking now decidedly likely.

Tanner Krebs hit a three for Gold Coast to try and lift his team but with Mazlin leading the way and the tireless work on the glass from Mitch Young and Obi Kyei, the Thunder just wouldn’t be denied.

However, Gold Coast also couldn’t accept bowing out in the first round after finishing on top and they started working back into it with a three-point play from Preston Le Gassick.

Donovan Mitchell then converted his own and-one before Krebs and Mazlin traded three balls, and then Krebs and Rasmus Bach also traded layups with the Rollers trying to make inroads.

Eventually after buckets to Le Gassick and Jaryd Eustace they did get back within three before a strong move and finish from Bach pushed Logan back out to the six-point lead with under two minutes to play.

But in the end it was Mitchell who came up massive for Gold Coast knocking down a pair three-pointers and ultimately making three clutch free-throws. That put the Rollers up by one but the Thunder had one last chance, Mazlin was fouled and he made one and the game went to overtime.

Michael Cedar and Eustace traded three-pointers to start the extra period but it would prove a Krebs three-pointer with just over 30 seconds to go that proved the match-winner, and the Rollers won 102-100 to advance to the semi finals next weekend.

Donovan Mitchell delivered his performance of the season for Gold Coast with 30 points and five rebounds while hitting 4/9 from three-point range and 8/10 at the foul line.

Tanner Krebs also hit four three-pointers on his way to 28 points and 11 rebounds with Jason Cadee scoring just seven points, but he played the facilitator role expertly for 16 assists.

Preston Le Gassick also had 15 points for Gold Coast and Elijah Kamu nine points.

Boston Mazlin stepped up to deliver 23 points, five rebounds and five assists for Logan with Rasmus Bach contributing 21 points and seven assists, Mitch Young 17 points, 10 boards and five assists, Michael Cedar 16 points and nine rebounds, and Obi Kyei eight points and nine boards.