NBL1 North Recap | Friday Men's Round 2

Only four points was the total margin from the two NBL1 North Men's games on Friday night with the Brisbane Capitals and Gold Coast Rollers coming out victorious away from home.

Round 2 of the NBL1 North Men's competition began on Friday night with the two thrillers ahead of a packed schedule on Saturday night, and another pair of games on Sunday.

The Friday night action saw the Brisbane Capitals defeat the Ipswich Force 82-80 with Nick Stoddart huge for the Capitals with 28 points while Henry Pwono top-scored for Ipswich with 21 points to go with 20 rebounds and five assists.

The Gold Coast Rollers also opened their 2022 season with the 90-88 victory against the Sunshine Coast Phoenix with Brisbane Bullets pair Lamar Patterson and Jason Cadee combining for 52 points, 15 rebounds and 14 assists.

Mason Bragg had 25 points for the Phoenix and Darnell Robateau 23.

The Round 2 action will continue on Saturday night with the Red City Roar at home to the North Gold Coast Seahawks, the Rockhampton Rockets hosting the Cairns Marlins and the South West Metro Pirates taking on the Ipswich Force.

Also on Saturday night, the Southern Districts Spartans will play host to the Logan Thunder while the Darwin Salties play the Townsville Heat and the Northside Wizards battle USC Rip City.

Then on Sunday afternoon, the North Gold Coast Seahawks play the Sunshine Coast Phoenix, and the Mackay Meteors take on the Cairns Marlins.

NBL1 NORTH – 2022 MEN'S SEASON
ROUND 2 – FRIDAY NIGHT

IPSWICH FORCE 80 lost to BRISBANE CAPITALS 82

The Ipswich Force went ever so close to notching their first win of the 2022 season but it wasn’t quite to be on Friday night on their home floor against the Brisbane Capitals.

The Force opening their 2022 NBL1 North Men's season with road losses to the Townsville Heat and Cairns Marlins ahead of their home opener on Friday night at JBS Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Capitals were fresh off a thrilling one-point win over the Northside Wizards last Saturday night. Ultimately it would be only by one extra point they would win on Friday night to open Round 2.

The Capitals got off to a flying start on the road putting up 30 points to 14 in the first quarter and they were still in command leading 51-34 by the half-time break.

However, the Force kept firing back even after still being 17 points down late in the third period.

They had got back within 12 by three quarter-time but again with six minutes to go it was the Capitals again leading by 18.

Ipswich kept on coming, though, and all of a sudden with three triples from Jason Ralph in the space of a minute and it was a two-point ball game with 21 seconds remaining.

Brisbane still held on for the 82-80 win but only after Ipswich finished the game scoring 18 of the last 20 points.

Nick Stoddart delivered a standout performance for the Capitals made up of 28 points and two assists on the back of 12/20 shooting from the field.

Ben Volkman added 10 points, eight rebounds and three assists for Brisbane, Atem Bior eight points and six rebounds, Max Mackinnon eight points and six boards, and Tim Soong seven points, six rebounds and three assists.

Just five days after his NBL season ended with the Illawarra Hawks, Isaac White put up 19 points and seven rebounds for the Force with Henry Pwono top-scoring with 21 points, 20 rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots.

Cameron Goldfinch added 19 points and nine rebounds, and Jason Ralph 13 points and six assists.

SUNSHINE COAST PHOENIX 88 lost to GOLD COAST ROLLERS 90

It was another thriller between the Gold Coast Rollers and Sunshine Coast Phoenix on Friday night at Maroochydore Stadium.

The Phoenix opened their season with a big win on the road last Friday against the Rockhampton Rockets before a narrow loss to the Mackay Meteors while the Rollers were making their first appearance of the season.

Boosted by the presence of star Brisbane Bullets NBL duo Lamar Patterson and Jason Cadee, the Rollers are aiming for a big season but it was a tight tussle the entire evening against the Phoenix.

Scores were all tied at 23-23 by quarter-time before Sunshine Coast was able to go into half-time with the 51-46 advantage.

Gold Coast fired back in the third quarter with 22 points to 14 but it was always set to be a grandstand finish.

It was Patterson who helped Gold Coast to a four-point edge with four minutes on the clock but a huge throwdown with 1:30 left from Nelson Kahler helped Sunshine Coast tie scores back up.

It was Patterson who again broke the deadlock and then Cadee iced the eventual 90-88 win for the Rollers at the charity stripe to give them a winning start to the new season.

Jason Cadee finished the night with 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Gold Coast with Lamar Patterson contributing 26 points, seven assists and six boards.

Jaze Morris added eight points, Preston Le Gassick seven points and two steals, and Devon Sullivan eight points and four rebounds.

Mason Bragg put up 25 points, seven assists and five rebounds in a tremendous point guard battle with Cadee while Darnell Robateau added 23 points and five rebounds for Sunshine Coast.

Nelson Kahler also had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Phoenix, Jonathan Janssen 13 points and nine boards, and Jamaal Robateau nine points and five rebounds.