North Grand Final | Woods leads Flames to level series

Courtney Woods put up 39 points and the Townsville Flames survived a furious fightback from Nikita Muscat and Mackay Meteorettes to force NBL1 North Grand Final to a Sunday decider after the 82-76 Game 2 victory.

Mackay couldn’t have been more emphatic with their 107-78 Game 1 victory to open the Grand Final series at Carmichael Ford Stadium on Friday night leaving it up to Townsville to respond on their home floor if they wanted to keep their season alive.

That's exactly what they did with Woods showing the way from the start help the home team to build a 12-point lead in the opening quarter.

Townsville were still leading 28-23 by quarter-time on the back of shooting 50 per cent from the field to 33 with Woods scoring 11 of those points but the Meteorettes did take the only 10 free throws in those first 10 minutes of the game.

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The lead for the Flames got out to 14 in the second quarter and still by half-time they were leading 54-43 with Woods adding another 13 points in the term to be up to 24 by the break with 10/15 shooting from the field.

Townsville were still shooting 51 per cent from the field with 7/18 from the outside along with forcing Mackay into eight turnovers while the Meteorettes were only shooting at 39 per cent but did have 15 free-throw attempts to three.

Townsville retained control through the third frame opening up a 19-point advantage with Woods adding another seven points to be up to 31 by three quarter-time with the Flames leading 71-54.

It appeared a natural that the Flames would go on to force the deciding Game 3 on Sunday only Mackay didn’t buy into that and came roaring back.

Nikita Muscat scored eight points in-a-row for Mackay to bring it back to a 10-point game before a Sammie Puisis converted a technical with just under five minutes players to back and Mackay had built some momentum.

Puisis then made it a seven-point game and suddenly Muscat continued her massive fourth quarter and with just over a minute left, she scored again and Mackay were within four and had a real shot.

They weren’t able to score again, though, and Townsville held on with foul shots in the last 30 seconds to Woods and Chailee Ward to win by six and set up the deciding Game 3 still on their home floor on Sunday.

MVP Courtney Woods was once again brilliant for the Flames with 39 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and two steals with 15/24 shooting from the floor and 8/11 at the stripe.

Bree Stephens also had 13 points, five rebounds and four blocked shots, Chailee Ward 10 points, five boards and thee assists, and Ella Tofaeono eight points, five rebounds and two assists.

River Baldwin ended up with another 16 points and 11 rebounds in Game 2 for Mackay while Sammie Puisis finished with 16 points, seven boards and four assists, and Nikita Muscat 12 points and six rebounds on 6/9 shooting.

Cheyenne Bobongie added 10 points, four rebound and four assists, Chelsea Brook 10 points, seven boards and two assists, and Monique Bobongie eight points, eight rebounds and six assists.

NBL1 NORTH 2026 SEASON | GRAND FINAL GAME 2

TOWNSVILLE FLAMES 82 (Woods 39, Stephens 13, Ward 10)

MACKAY METEORETTES 76 (Puisis 16, Baldwin 16, Muscat 12)