NBL1 North Recap | Friday Men's Round 3

There might have been just the one game on Friday night in Round 3 of the NBL1 North Men's competition, but what a contest it was between the Townsville Heat and South West Metro Pirates that needed overtime to be decided.

The two teams opened Round 3 of the 2022 season at Townsville StarFM Stadium on Friday night with the visiting Pirates coming up with some huge plays late in the fourth quarter to force the game into overtime.

Then in the extra period, the experience of Brendan Teys and a couple of huge shots from Joel Matysek helped South West to the 94-90 road victory over the Heat to begin their double-header on the road this weekend.

Round 3 in the NBL1 North Men's season will now ramp up significantly on Saturday night with the Southern Districts Spartans hosting the Brisbane Capitals while the Cairns Marlins are at home to the South West Metro Pirates, and the Gold Coast Rollers take on USC Rip City.

The Mackay Meteors will also be hosting the Rockhampton Rockets with the Sunshine Coast Phoenix battling the Northside Wizards, the North Gold Coast Seahawks taking on the Ipswich Force, and then finally the Darwin Salties at home to Logan Thunder.

The round will then wrap up on Sunday with the Ipswich Force at home to Red City Roar at JBS Stadium.

NBL1 NORTH – 2022 MEN'S SEASON
ROUND 3 – FRIDAY NIGHT

TOWNSVILLE HEAT 90 lost to SOUTH WEST METRO PIRATES 94

It was a stunning overtime contest in Townsville on Friday night with the South West Metro Pirates coming out with the 94-90 victory.

Townsville had won their opening two matches of the 2022 season while South West had split their opening two match ups setting the stage for Friday night's clash at Townsville StarFM Stadium.

The Heat got off to a fast start on their home floor with 29 points to 18 in the first quarter but the Pirates did well to fire back in the second period with 31 points to 20 and that meant scores were all locked together at 49-49 at half-time.

Townsville opened up a handy gap again of eight points by three quarter-time having led by as much as 13 just minutes earlier after a DeAndre Daniels throwdown.

South West wasn't going away, though, and all of a sudden with seven minutes left in regulation, they had drawn level on the back of a three-pointer from Tendekai Machando.

Four quick points to Daniels had the Heat back on top but South West made a break with a 9-0 run to be up five with 3:30 on the back of a Taylor Young three ball which came after a Young score inside, and immediate steal and bucket from Machando on the Daniels in-bounds pass.

The rollercoaster continued with Townsville hitting the next seven points started by a Taine Wattie three ball. Eventually it was two free-throws from Young for South West that sent the game into overtime.

Daniels and Brendan Teys traded buckets to start the extra period before a dunk for the Pirates from Cameron Gordon. The game deciding buckets ended up coming from Joel Matysek. He hit a three ball and then a tough mid-range jumper to put South West on top by five and they ended up winning 94-90.

Taylor Young had a tremendous night for the Pirates finishing with 24 points, seven assists and four rebounds while shooting 8/11 from the field, 3/5 from downtown and 5/6 at the charity stripe.

Rudolphe Joly added 20 points for the winners, Joel Matysek 11 points and four rebounds, Brendan Teys eight points, six boards, four assists and four steals, and Brandon Edwards eight points, four steals and three rebounds.

Ethan Betts finished with 26 points, six assists and five rebounds for the Heat with DeAndre Daniels contributing 19 points, 14 rebounds and four assists, Taine Wattie 14 points, three boards and three assists, Chris Kann 13 points and four rebounds, and Matthew Rees 12 points, 11 boards and five blocks.