NBL1 North Women's Championship Series Game 2 Recap

Logan Thunder clinched the Coles Express NBL1 North Women’s Championship with a hard-fought 63-61 victory over Southern Districts Spartans at Rowland Cowan Stadium on Saturday night.

With the championship on the line, Thunder forward Chevannah Paalvast nailed a three-pointer to level the scores 61-apiece with 29 seconds left in the game.

Paalvast, who hit 2 of 2 from beyond the arc, held her nerve in a game where both teams struggled to find their range as the Thunder shot 6 of 22 and the Spartans hit just 3 of 17 from deep.

Thunder captain Mikaela Cann, who was named the Grand Final Series most valuable player, scored the go-ahead baskets from the free-throw line before Paalvast stepped up again on the final play with her second block of the game.

It was otherwise a scrappy game that had it all, including star players fouled out, multiple technical fouls, gritty and tough defence, and a combined 52 turnovers, as the inaugural champions had to win ugly in game 2 of the Grand Final Series.  

Thunder centre Mikaela Ruef fouled out with her side down 50-49 with 4.53 left in the game. Despite the early finish, the walking double-double tallied 15 points and 12 rebounds. Paalvast joined her with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Cann, the standout player in Game 1, scored 10 of her 14 points in the final quarter including five clutch free throws (7 of 7 from the line for the game). Thunder forward Cassie Carroll also scored 14 points.

The top-seeded Spartans led by six points (55-49) with 3.52 left on the clock and looked to be headed for a Game 3 decider with Ruef on the bench. The home side were also in foul trouble with Ash Karaitiana fouled out and they would also lose Kalani Purcell and Nadeen Payne down the stretch.

Payne top scored for the Spartans with 17 points and was backed up by Maddison Rocci (16 points) and Madelyn Willey (14 points).