Recap NBL1 North | Grand Finals Game 1

Featured image: Judd Green

AJ Johnson lifted the Northside Wizards to a huge finish to overrun the Rockhampton Cyclones in Game 1 of the women's NBL1 North Grand Final series while Isaac White was huge as the Mackay Meteors took the lead over the Brisbane Capitals.

RECAP NBL1 NORTH | SEMI FINALS

WOMEN

Northside Wizards (80) defeated Rockhampton Cyclones (71)

It took until the last quarter but eventually the Northside Wizards were able to take charge of Game 1 to be one win now away from back-to-back championships after the 80-71 win over the Rockhampton Cyclones.

On the back of playing one another in last year's Grand Final series, the two teams met once in the regular with the Wizards winning a tight affair by seven points before they both finished in the top two positions at the end of the regular season.

They booked in their Grand Final rematch with the Wizards beating the North Gold Coast Seahawks last week, and the Cyclones overcoming the Townsville Flames.

The Wizards had earned home court advantage for the best-of-three series this weekend with Rockhampton looking to avoid falling behind like they did 12 months ago in the same situation.

The signs were ominous early with Northside out to a seven-point lead, but Rockhampton did well to not only work back into the contest but to be leading by a point at quarter-time.

The Cyclones then built on that confidence to open up a six-point lead in the second period but by half-time the Wizards had got back within a point with the game still right up for grabs.

It was Rockhampton who threatened to blow it open in the third term and the visitors opened up a 13-point advantage, and were still leading 61-51 by three quarter-time on the back of the 21 points to 12.

The Cyclones had put themselves in a strong position to claim the opening game, but the Wizards are a mighty hard team to put away and the defending champions responded like only they can in the fourth quarter.

Staring down the barrel at that 10-point deficit, Northside put up 29 points to 10 across those last 10 minutes for the eventual nine-point victory to be one win away from back-to-back championships.

MVP AJ Johnson had another monster performance in the end for the Wizards with 27 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, four blocked shots and two steals on 9/15 shooting from the floor and 8/9 at the free-throw line.

Erin Bollmann also delivered 21 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, three steals and three blocks with Nadeen Payne adding 19 points and eight boards, and Jess McDowell-White seven points, seven assists, three steals and three rebounds.

Rockhampton now needs to win twice on the road this weekend to break through to win the championship after Lauren Heard put up 16 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds and three steals.

Sam Bowman added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Cyclones with Morgan Yaeger contributing 13 points, 10 boards and four assists, Lara McSpadden 12 points and five rebounds, and Tai Wakelin-Gray seven points, six boards and four assists.

NORTHSIDE WIZARDS 80 (Johnson 27, Bollmann 21, Payne 19)

ROCKHAMPTON CYCLONES 71 (Heard 16, Bowman 15, Yaeger 13)

MEN

Mackay Meteors (91) defeated Brisbane Capitals (79)

Brisbane Bullets NBL teammates Isaac White and Sam McDaniel went head-to-head to open Grand Final weekend and it was White and his Mackay Meteors who took the series lead with the 91-79 Game 1 win.

It always shaped as a tantalising Grand Final series match up with the current and former NBL talent featured on either side, but the Meteors having home court advantage at Mackay Basketball Stadium was always going to be a big stumbling block for the Caps.

Mackay had gone eight of nine at home this season including last week's 10-point win over the loaded up Southern Districts Spartans ahead of hosting a Capitals team who came from fourth and beat the Rockhampton Rockets and Darwin Salties to reach the Grand Final.

It was the Meteors on their home floor who got the better of the start unsurprisingly with an 11-0 run to start proceedings.

Isaac White then put the home team out to a 12-point lead late in the first quarter with a pair of three-point bombs.

Mackay would end up leading 30-19 by quarter-time but Brisbane responded impressively with 28 points to 19 of their own in the second term to cut that Meteors advantage to 49-47 at the half-time interval.

That had the Game 1 match up tantalisingly poised at the halfway mark and even though the Meteors got out to another nine-point lead in the third term, the Caps stayed in touch to be just down by six by three quarter-time.

However, the Meteors had too many weapons and with White and Todd Blanchfield showing their class and experience to combine for 54 points and eight three-pointers, it was Mackay claiming the 12-point Game 1 win.

That has the Meteors one win away from a fifth championship dating back to a first triumph in the men's competition in 2011 and first since 2021.

Isaac White was tremendous in the win for Mackay with 30 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals on the back of shooting 11/20 from the field and going 4/6 from three-point territory.

Todd Blanchfield used his 402 games of NBL experience for 24 points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists too with Luca Yates contributing 16 points and 13 boards, and Emmett Naar 12 points and 10 assists.

Aiden Krause played a crucial role once more too with six points and 11 rebounds while Jerron Jamerson might have had just three points and three rebounds, but in his 15 minutes the Meteors outscored the Capitals by 10 points.

Brisbane now has its work cut out to make it a third championship overall and first since 2019 needing two wins in Mackay over the next two days.

MVP Sam McDaniel produced 29 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals for the Capitals with Gabe Hadley adding 18 points and five assists, Cameron Thew 13 points and six rebounds, and Isaih Tueta eight points, five assists and four boards.

MACKAY METEORS 91 (White 30, Blanchfield 24, Yates 16)

BRISBANE CAPITALS 79 (McDaniel 29, Hadley 18, Thew 13)