Recap NBL1 North | Round 1 Thursday

The NBL1 North season got underway on Thursday night with Miela Goodchild and Mikaela Ruef firing the North Gold Coast Seahawks to a first up win while Shaun Bruce had a triple-double in a victory for Logan Thunder.

The two matches to begin the season on Thursday night saw the North Gold Coast Seahawks women defeat Logan Thunder 78-66 before the Thunder men defeated the Seahawks 112-56.

WOMEN

Logan Thunder (66) lost to North Gold Coast Seahawks (78)

The North Gold Coast Seahawks have opened their NBL1 North season in style with the 78-66 road victory against the Logan Thunder.

It was the opening game of the NBL1 North season on Thursday night at Bendigo Bank Cornubia Park Sports Centre with Logan looking to make a winning start at home after just falling short of another grand final in 2023.

North Gold Coast might have missed the playoffs last year, but with Mikaela Ruef and Miela Goodchild into the line-up for 2024, it's an exciting looking squad.

It just happened to be fixtured for Ruef's first game with the Seahawks up against the Thunder team she was a long-time star and permanent fixture with.

Now on the back of another strong WNBL season at the Townsville Fire, she's made the move to North Gold Coast alongside Perth Lynx star Miela Goodchild who had a breakout WNBL season in a team that beat Ruef's Townsville in the semi finals.

It didn’t take long for the Seahawks to take control of the contest opening up a 10-point lead by the end of one.

The lead for North Gold Coast got out to as much as 12 points in the second quarter and 13 in the fourth before they went on to start the new season with the 12-point home victory.

Miela Goodchild continued that momentum from her standout WNBL season by putting up 29 points, four rebounds and three assists for North Gold Coast with 10/10 free-throw shooting.

Mikaela Ruef also delivered 22 points, 23 rebounds and five assists with Majella Carey contributing 10 points, six boards and four assists, and Kendell Heremaia eight points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists.

It's a new look Logan team in 2024 and Mikhaela Cann started the season off with 31 points, seven rebounds and four assists with 4/8 shooting from beyond the arc.

Chevannah Paalvast added 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks with Jade Kirisome contributing seven points and five boards, and Jaylen Cooper five points and six rebounds.

It's the lone game of the opening round for both teams with the Seahawks away to the Townsville Flames next Friday at 6pm local time via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App. Logan travels north to play the Darwin Salties next Saturday.

LOGAN THUNDER 66 (Cann 31, Paalvast 13, Kirisome 7)

NORTH GOLD COAST SEAHAWKS 78 (Goodchild 19, Ruef 22, Carey 10)

MEN

Logan Thunder (112) defeated North Gold Coast Seahawks (65)

Shaun Bruce delivered a triple-double and Callum Dalton came up huge as the Logan Thunder started the NBL1 North season emphatically beating the North Gold Coast Seahawks.

The season got underway on Thursday night at Bendigo Bank Cornubia Park Sports Centre and Logan was ready to make a statement to get things underway on their home floor.

Logan had eight assists as a team in the first quarter and each of those was dished out by recent re-signed Sydney Kings NBL captain Shaun Bruce.

That set the tone for the evening but North Gold Coast were doing well to stick with the Thunder at least until the home team began to pull away with 28 points to 17 in the second period to go into the half-time break leading 55-39.

It was an even more dominant third quarter from Logan with 33 points to seven and then another 24 to 19 in the fourth saw the Thunder score the opening night 47-point victory.

The Thunder pulled down a monstrous 65 rebounds for the game including 21 at the offensive end opposed to just 41 from the Seahawks. That helped Logan take seven extra field goals and eight more free throws for the evening.

Shaun Bruce opened the season with a triple-double for the Thunder with 12 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

Callum Dalton was also impressive with 27 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots while Zac Triplett contributed 24 points, nine boards and three assists, Tom Howard 10 points and six rebounds, and Isaiah Lee 10 points and two boards.

It was a tough opening night of the season for North Gold Coast with Nataniel Salmon top-scoring with 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots.

Cameron Healy added 12 points and three assists, Matt Kenyon 11 points and 16 rebounds, and Kane Bishop nine points, nine boards and four assists.

It's the lone game of the opening round for both teams with the Seahawks away to the Townsville Flames next Friday at 8pm local time via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App. Logan travels north to play the Darwin Salties next Saturday.

LOGAN THUNDER 112 (Dalton 27, Triplett 24, Bruce 12)

NORTH GOLD COAST SEAHAWKS 56 (Salmon 14, Healy 12, Kenyon 11)