North Recap | Grand Finals Game 1

Nicole Fransson led the Southern Districts Spartans to a dominant NBL1 North Game 1 Grand Final win over Logan Thunder while Tamuri Wigness inspired the men to a miraculous fightback win over Brisbane Capitals.

NORTH RECAP | SEMI FINALS

NORTH RECAP | QUARTER FINALS SATURDAY

NORTH RECAP | QUARTER FINALS FRIDAY

WOMEN

Southern Districts Spartans (87) defeated Logan Thunder (69)

Nicole Fransson was at her dominant best and the Southern Districts made an early statement and continued to dominate Game 1 of the Grand Final Series to beat the Logan Thunder 87-69 to be one win from a championship.

The Spartans finished the regular season in top spot and on a six-game winning streak but they only had first place thanks to beating the Thunder all the way back in the opening game of the season on May 2.

Logan didn’t lose another game all season and were on a 13-game winning run by the end of the regular season before beating the Cairns Dolphins in a thrilling semi-final last Saturday night to book a spot in the Grand Final.

Southern Districts had a more dominant road to the decider by beating the Mackay Meteorettes by 17 points last Saturday and maintain home court advantage back at Rowland Cowan Stadium for Game 1 of the Grand Final Series on Friday night.

It was a blistering start on their home floor for the Spartans as they opened up a 15-point lead in the first quarter before being up 33-20 by the end of one thanks to shooting 14/21 from the field to 8/23 from the Thunder.

It should have been a bigger lead too but Logan missed seven free throws in the first quarter alone but their lead got out to 18 in the second term and was still 48-35 by the half-time break.

Southern Districts remained in control throughout the second half with the lead out to 25 points on multiple occasions.

Even with Logan putting up 20 points to 13 in the fourth quarter, it was still an 18-point win for the Spartans to take the one-nil series lead with the chance to secure the 2025 championship on Saturday night back at Rowland Cowan Stadium.

It is as dominant a Game 1 performance as you're likely to see with Southern Districts ending up shooting 49 per cent from the field to 36 while going 13/25 at the foul line to 12/13. The Spartans also forced Logan into 18 turnovers.

Nicole Fransson has been a dominant presence all season for Southern Districts and was so again to open the Grand Final Series with 31 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots with 13/20 field goal shooting.

She had plenty of help too with Taylah Simmons producing 15 points, three rebounds and three assists, Jess McDowell-White 13 points, seven assists, six boards and two steals, Odette Isaac 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists, and Kalani Purcell eight points, seven boards and four assists.

Logan now need to win two straight over the weekend if they are to win a first women's championship since 2021.

The Sydney Flames WNBL bound Mikhaela Cann produced 22 points, eight rebounds and four assists on 9/9 free-throw shooting despite going 6/18 from the floor.

Leah Scott added 19 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, Amandine Toi 14 points and two steals, and Prasayus Notoa seven points, 13 rebounds and two blocked shots.

SOUTHERN DISTRICTS SPARTANS 87 (Fransson 31, Simmons 15, J McDowell-White 13)

LOGAN THUNDER 69 (Cann 22, Scott 19, Toi 14)

MEN

Brisbane Capitals (78) lost to Southern Districts Spartans (90)

Tamuri Wigness inspired the most remarkable turnaround from the Southern Districts Spartans to turn a 14-point deficit into their own 14-point lead and eventual 90-78 Game 1 victory over the Brisbane Capitals to open the Grand Final Series.

The Capitals are looking to go one step better in 2025 after losing the Grand Final Series to the rampant Mackay Meteors last year especially after they lost league MVP and Brisbane Bullets star Sam McDaniel to a shoulder injury.

McDaniel is again absent now for this Grand Final Series with Brisbane but they did finish in second place and then won their way into the decider by beating the Sunshine Coast Phoenix last Saturday night.

They earned home court advantage too after the Spartans beat the regular season champion Gold Coast Rollers in the semi finals.

But with the redevelopment going on at Auchenflower Stadium, the Grand Final Series will be played this weekend all at Northside Indoor Sports Centre putting on neutral surface for both the Spartans and Capitals.

Despite the Capitals shooting 7/24 in the opening quarter, they were leading by the end of one thanks to he extra nine shot attempts than the Spartans.

Brisbane pushed out to a six-point lead in the second term but by half-time it remained a tight affair with the Caps on top 37-34 with Capitals shooting 16/45 to the 14/38 from Southern Districts.

The Capitals were then in complete control when leading by 14 points with 3:45 to go in the third quarter after Geordan Papacostas scored, but from there the game went under the most dramatic transformation.

After Brisbane were leading 60-47 a minute later, Southern Districts scored the last six points of the third quarter to close the gap back to seven at three quarter-time.

Darcy Ryder then landed a three-pointer to open the fourth quarter to bring the margin back to four before Max Kerle landed another from downtown to bring the Spartans back within a solitary point to complete the 12-0 run.

Brisbane did briefly steady thanks to Isaih Tueta, Matthew Johns and Papacostas to once again be leading by eight with 5:30 to go before the Spartans made another run and this time it decided Game 1.

The Spartans scored nine straight points capped off by a triple from Tamuri Wigness to grab the lead before he pushed the lead out to four when he scored on an offensive rebound.

Southern Districts went on with the job from there with a floater from Blake Jones before Wigness pushed the lead out to eight when he scored again going to the basket, and they would end up scoring the 12-point win thanks to 37 points to 18 in the fourth quarter.

After Brisbane were leading by 14 late in the third quarter, Southern Districts put up 46 points to 20 in the game's last 14 minutes and now the Spartans take all the momentum into Game 2 trying to win a first men's championship since 2006.

Tamuri Wigness continued his brilliant season with the Spartans by delivering another 29 points, eight assists and six rebounds with 3/4 three-point shooting.

Max Kerle added 16 points and four rebounds, Blake Jones 12 points, nine boards and six assists, Matt Hodgson 10 points, Jean-Luc Morel eight points, eight rebounds and two assists, and Andre Ugrinic eight points, seven boards, three assists and two blocked shots.

The Capitals are now playing catch up in the Grand Final Series for a second straight year but it's going to be tough once more without the presence of Sam McDaniel.

Kai Bloom finished with 16 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Caps with Geordan Papacostas adding 16 points and four boards.

Isaih Tueta also had 14 points, four rebounds and four assists, Uche Dibiamaka 11 points, five assists, four boards and two steals, and Matthew Johns six points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals.

BRISBANE CAPITALS 78 (Bloom 16, Papacostas 16, Tueta 14)

SOUTHERN DISTRICTS SPARTANS 90 (Wigness 29, Kerle 16, Jones 12)