NBL1 North Recap | Saturday Men's Quarter Finals

If you weren’t entertained by the four Men's NBL1 North quarter finals this weekend where the winning margins were a combined 10 points then you simply don't like basketball.

The stage was set for what was to come with a stunning overtime clash on Friday night where the regular season champion Gold Coast Rollers came from behind to keep their season alive beating the Logan Thunder 102-100.

Things got underway on Saturday night at Early Settler Stadium and what an incredible overtime contest it proved to be between the fourth placed Cairns Marlins and fifth placed Ipswich Force.

It was Ipswich up three for most of the final minute after a massive three from Isaac White following an offensive rebounds, but Cairns forced the game to overtime after Jason Ralph missed two free-throws for the Force and then Lat Mayen rose up to knock down the remarkable three-pointer.

The Marlins then did enough in overtime to end up winning 94-91 with Mayen finished with 34 points and Kody Stattmann 21 points and 11 rebounds. Henry Pwono had 31 points for Ipswich, Isaac White 23 and Cameron Goldfinch 17.

It was another overtime heartstopper as well at Mackay Basketball Stadium between the second placed Mackay Meteors and the loaded up Northside Wizards.

There were big plays galore at the end of regulation with a huge triple from Viliami Foketi putting the home team up 85-84. Lual Diing just could be stopped driving the ball to the rack and throwing down soon after to tie scores up.

Mackay still had one more shot at it but Keanu Pinder blocked Jaylin Galloway and the game went to overtime. Not only did he block it, but he sent it into the stands.

Then just as the Meteors were on top once more late in the extra period, Pinder and Anthony Drmic came up with the two biggest finishes of the game and the Wizards prevailed 98-96.

Drmic ended the night on 42 points and 11 rebounds for the Wizards with Pinder delivering 21 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, five steals and three blocks.

Jaylin Galloway finished with 23 points for Mackay and Kyrin Galloway 20.

The third and final quarter-final of Friday night might not have gone to overtime that but that didn’t mean it wasn’t every bit as eventful between USC Rip City and the Darwin Salties at USC Sports Stadium.

Rip City were able to hold out Darwin in the finish to win 89-86 on the back of 30 points and 15 rebounds from Sydney Kings NBL signing Kouat Noi. Isaih Tueta added 19 points, five assists and four rebounds.

Tad Dufelmeier finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Salties, and Makuach Maluach 20 points and nine boards.

The quarter-final results now set the stage for two tantalising semi finals on Saturday night with the Gold Coast Rollers to play the Northside Wizards, and USC Rip City to take on the Cairns Marlins.

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

CAIRNS MARLINS 94 defeated IPSWICH FORCE 91

MACKAY METEORS 96 lost to NORTHSIDE WIZARDS 98

USC RIP CITY 89 defeated DARWIN SALTIES 86