North Recap | Semi Finals

Image credit: @simons_sportpics

Jess and Hayley McDowell-White, and Tamuri Wigness starred as both Southern Districts Spartans teams booked NBL1 North grand final spots with Logan Thunder women prevailing in double overtime, and Isaih Tueta lifting Brisbane Capitals.

NORTH RECAP | QUARTER FINALS SATURDAY

NORTH RECAP | QUARTER FINALS FRIDAY

WOMEN

Southern Districts Spartans (96) defeated Mackay Meteorettes (79)

Jess and Hayley McDowell-White combined for 43 points to lead the Southern Districts Spartans into the NBL1 North grand final with the 96-79 home win against the Mackay Meteorettes.

The Spartans did finish the regular season in top spot losing just once which was on the road in Cairns back on June 14 to earn the quarter finals off to await the winner of the Mackay and Sunshine Coast Phoenix match up.

The Meteorettes scored the narrow win at home to set up the semi-final match up with the Spartans at Rowland Cowan Stadium and Southern Districts hadn’t played for two weeks, and came out in scorching form.

The Spartans put up 34 points to 20 in the first quarter on the back of shooting 12/19 from the field opposed to the 7/20 from the Meteorettes.

It was another 25 points to 19 in the second term from Southern Districts to see them in control leading 59-39 by half-time.

That lead got out to 23 in the second half with the Spartans remaining in control on the way to the eventual 17-point to book their place in the grand final series for 2025 and having the home court advantage for Games 2 and 3.

Southern Districts finished up shooting 48 per cent from the field to 40 from the Meteorettes along with going 12/29 from downtown to 8/26 while also pulling down 14 offensive rebounds and forcing Mackay into 18 turnovers.

Jess McDowell-White was outstanding in the win for Southern Districts with 26 points, six assists and three rebounds while sister Hayley McDowell-White also had 17 points with 5/7 three-point shooting.

Nicole Fransson continued her standout season too with another 20 points, nine rebounds and three assists with Kalani Purcell contributing nine points, 10 boards and seven assists, Taylah Simmons seven points and three assists, and Emily Preston six points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks.

The season is over for the Meteorettes after they missed finals altogether in 2024 with the Sydney Flames WNBL bound Unique Thompson finishing with 18 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots.

Cheyenne Bobongie added 16 points, five assists and four rebounds, Monique Bobongie 14 points and four assists, Amari Robinson 10 points, 12 boards and two assists, and Emme Shearer 10 points, four rebounds and three assists.

SOUTHERN DISTRICTS SPARTANS 96 (J McDowell-White 26, Fransson 20, H McDowell-White 17)

MACKAY METEORETTES 79 (Thompson 18, C Bobongie 16, M Bobongie 14)

Logan Thunder (100) defeated Cairns Dolphins (93)

Logan Thunder are back to the NBL1 North grand final series and they did so in the most dramatic fashion with the 100-93 double overtime victory against the Cairns Dolphins.

It has been a reset of a season for Logan in the NBL1 North with Aja Parham-Ammar taking over as coach after missing out on finals in 2024 after years of being perennial contenders under Brayden Heslehurst, who was on hand at the commentary desk at Bendigo Bank Cornubia Park Sports Centre.

Logan have hit back well in 2025 to finish the regular season with a 13-1 record and having won their last 13 straight games after a first up defeat to the Southern Districts Spartans.

That saw them earn the week off to open the finals while the Dolphins remained at home last week to beat the Townsville Flames and then set up the semi-final contest with Logan.

It was a blistering start from Cairns opening up a 14-point lead in the first quarter but Logan hit back with a 10-0 run to be back within three by quarter-time.

It was still just a three-point lead for the Dolphins at half-time before Logan put up 19 points to 16 in the third frame to make scores all square by three quarter-time.

Cairns then found themselves leading by five with four minutes to play when Summah Evans scored but Logan responded and were back in front themselves by two with 45 seconds to play after a three-point play from Leah Scott.

Cayla George then answered for Cairns to tie scores up once more and that's where things stayed at 81-81 by the end of regulation.

The Thunder made the quick start to overtime with the first five points to Leah Scott and then were up six when Mikhaela Cann scored but Cairns responded with three balls to Teyahna Bond and Evans to level scores once more.

That's where things stayed by the end of the first overtime before the second extra period started with George picking up her fifth foul for Cairns ending her night.

Logan responded with the first five points once more and this time they remained in front the rest of the way and Amandine Toi closed things out with a three-pointer to guarantee the seven-point win and a spot in the grand final series for the Thunder.

Logan will now take on the Southern Districts Spartans in the grand final series who are the only team to beat them all season with Leah Scott delivering 26 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Amandine Toi added 22 points, four steals, three assists and two rebounds, Kendell Heremaia 18 points, six rebounds and two steals, Prasayus Notoa 13 points, 15 boards and two blocks, and Mikhaela Cann 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Cairns have a lot to be proud of in their first season under coach Marcus Wong who is fresh off taking the Rockingham Flames to the NBL1 West championship in 2024.

Mia Loyd had a standout season for the Dolphins and provided another 25 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Summah Evans added 19 points, four rebounds and four steals, Cayla George 18 points, 15 boards, four assists and two blocks, Taryn Bond 11 points and two steals, and Aimee Brett 11 points and five assists.

LOGAN THUNDER 100 (Scott 26, Toi 22, Heremaia 18)

CAIRNS DOLPHINS 93 (Loyd 25, Evans 19, George 18)

MEN

Gold Coast Rollers (81) lost to Southern Districts Spartans (85)

The Gold Coast Rollers looked on track for a grand final appearance most of the night before Tamuri Wigness sparked the Southern Districts Spartans out scored them 22 points to six in the last six minutes for the 85-81 victory.

It was always going to be a tantalising match up at The Southport School with Gold Coast and Southern Districts battling over a spot in the grand final series, and both having finished the regular season strongly.

Gold Coast locked away top spot with a 9-5 record and four straight wins by finish ahead of both Brisbane and Sunshine Coat through the tie-breaker with all three teams finishing at 9-5.

That saw the Rollers earn the week off last weekend to start the finals while the Spartans made it five straight wins by beating the defending champion Mackay Meteors to set up the semi-final match up on the road to the Rollers.

Southern Districts came out and had the better of the start to be leading 24-20 by the end of one thanks to shooting 9/17 to the 6/22 from the Rollers.

But Gold Coast turned things around in the second term with 27 points to 12 on the back of getting to the foul line 11 times to four, and shooting 8/18 from the floor to 4/15.

That saw the Rollers leading 47-36 by half-time with that lead getting out to 13 in the third term, and then even with just six minutes left in the fourth Gold Coast were still 12 points to the good.

When Jensen Bradtke threw down a dunk, Gold Coast was up 75-63 with six minutes to go and they had one foot in the grand final, but the Spartans and Wigness had other ideas.

Wigness immediately hit a three ball and then found Jean-Luc Morel to score inside before Blake Jones also scored and in less than two minutes it was back to a five-point ball game.

Wigness then brought it back to three when he scored after a turnover on Boston Mazlin, but Gold Coast did steady with a couple of free throws from Charles Smith IV.

Wigness was just warming up, though, and responded with a three-pointer before Blake Jones hit from deep too and suddenly the Spartans had grabbed the lead.

Reuben Te Rangi was then called for an offensive foul for Gold Coast but the biggest play of the game proved to be when Southern Districts forced Smith into the turnover before Wigness finished in transition and made it a three-point play.

The Spartans were up four as a result but Gold Coast did respond out of a timeout with a three ball to Mazlin to keep things interesting, but free throws from Max Kerle and Wigness ended up sealing the deal for Southern Districts to send them into the grand final series.

Tamuri Wigness has had the best season of his career and continued his dazzling form with another 37 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals with 14/28 from the field, 4/9 from downtown and 5/7 at the foul line.

Blake Jones added 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals, Max Kerle 10 points and four rebounds, Matt Hodgson nine points and three boards, and Jean-Luc Morel six points and eight rebounds.

The season is over for Anthony Petrie's Gold Coast despite Reuben Te Rangi finishing with 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals ahead of his NBL return to the New Zealand Breakers.

Boston Mazlin knocked down 4/9 from three-point territory for 21 points, seven rebounds and two assists, and Charles Smith IV 10 points, four boards and two assists.

GOLD COAST ROLLERS 81 (Te Rangi 22, Mazlin 21, Smith IV 10)

SOUTHERN DISTRICTS SPARTANS 85 (Wigness 37, Jones 13, Kerle 10)

Brisbane Capitals (81) defeated Sunshine Coast Phoenix (74)

There was no Sam McDaniel or Earnest Ross to make things extra interesting with a grand final spot on the line but it was the Brisbane Capitals who made it consecutive appearances in the decider with the 81-74 home victory against the Sunshine Coast Phoenix.

There had been plenty of momentum behind the Phoenix who had built an impressive home court atmosphere on the Sunshine Coast which saw them hand the Rockhampton Rockets a 31-point loss in last week's quarter-final.

That saw the Phoenix set up the semi-final match up with the Capitals at Auchenflower Stadium, and both teams were missing their superstar with no Sam McDaniel for Brisbane and no Earnest Ross for Sunshine Coast.

It proved to be a tight contest the entire way with neither team giving an inch and no team led by more than the nine points that Sunshine Coast were up by during the second quarter.

It was a narrow lead for the Caps of 16-15 by the end of the first frame before Brisbane were still clinging to that one-point advantage with the 35-34 lead at half-time with the two sides combining to shoot 7/30 from three-point range.

It was 23 points to 22 in favour of Brisbane in the third period but it wasn’t until halfway through the last term where one of the teams pushed it out to more than a one possession game when DeShawn Ross-Paiwan scored for Sunshine Coast.

The Capitals had to respond on their home floor and did with a three-point play from Geordan Papacostas and a three-point bomb from Isaih Tueta, but in between Sunshine Coast steadied with a three ball from Jamaal Robateau.

Eventually with two minutes to play Tueta hit a couple at the line to put Brisbane back up two before he landed a three ball and in the end that was the dagger blow that set the Capitals up for the eventual seven-point win and to advance to a second straight grand final series.

It was Isaih Tueta who showed his class and experience for Brisbane in the absence of Sam McDaniel to finish the semi-final with 28 points, seven assists and four rebounds with 6/10 three-point shooting.

Uche Dibiamaka added 14 points, five rebounds and four assists, Anthony Kopcikas 13 points with 3/6 three-point shooting, Cameron Thew eight points, eight boards and two steals, and Geordan Papacostas six points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals.

It's the end of a memorable season for the Phoenix with DeShawn Ross-Paiwan finishing with 17 points and six rebounds in only 22 minutes.

Elias Cato added 15 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and two assists, Nelson Kahler 15 points and 12 boards, and Jamaal Robateau 15 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

BRISBANE CAPITALS 81 (Tueta 28, Dibiamaka 14, Kopcikas 13)

SUNSHINE COAST PHOENIX 74 (Ross-Paiwan 17, Cato 15, J Robateau 15, Kahler 15)