North Spotlight | Dolphins overpower Spartans to stay top

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The Southern Districts Spartans put up 50 three-point attempts for the game and that did help them to a 10-point lead in the third quarter, but the Cairns Dolphins responded on the way to the 86-79 win to stay top of the NBL1 North.

It shaped as a fascinating match up at Rowland Cowan Stadium with the Dolphins beginning their road double in top spot while the Spartans were third and trying stay in touch of a top two finish.

The Spartans were leading by three points at quarter-time and seven at the half before that lead grew to 10 in the third, but eventually Cairns wore them down and the three balls stopped falling for Southern Districts with them going 5/23 in the second half.

The Dolphins ended up winning the second half 49 points to 35 on the way to the seven-point to improve to a 12-1 record to stay in first place while the Spartans remain third at 10-5 with just one game of their season to go.

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Cairns had to dig deep from a 10-point deficit in the third quarter to retain top spot to finish up shooting 53 per cent from the floor to 38 along with going 19/29 at the foul line to 5/9.

The Spartans did shoot 12/50 in the finish while only attempting 31 shots inside the arc and they did collect 12 offensive rebounds and forced Cairns into 19 turnovers to get up an extra 24 shot attempts, but couldn’t quite capitalise.

Summah Evans top scored for Cairns with 22 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals with Taryn Bond adding 16 points, four boards and four assists, and Teyla Evans 14 points, 13 rebound and two steals.

Mia Loyd contributed another 14 points, eight rebounds, six assists and five steals with Leah Pearson-Pitt adding nine points and two board with 2/2 three-point shooting.

Southern Districts did plenty right but enough of their 50 three-point attempts just didn’t fall in the finish with Jess McDowell-White going 5/15 for 23 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and four steals.

Abby Solway went 4/15 for 15 points and three rebounds with Mikayla Cowling providing 18 points, six assists, five boards and three steals, Emily Preston 12 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two assists, and Kalani Purcell eight points, four boards and four assists.

It was first against third and a crucial match up with little separating the top three NBL1 North teams and it was the Spartans on their home floor leading 22-19 by the end of the first quarter.

Jess McDowell-White already had 10 points and a couple of triples for Southern Districts with her team going 4/13 from downtown in the opening 10 minutes to 3/7 from Cairns.

The Spartans then had another 22 points to 18 in the second period to go into half-time leading 44-37 while going 7/27 from deep and attempting just 14 shots inside the arc.

Jess McDowell-White might have not added to her 10 points but Abby Solway was up to 15 points while going 4/13 from beyond the arc with Cairns going 4/11 as an entire team in the opening half.

The lead for Southern Districts got out to 10 points in the third quarter but Cairns fired back with a 9-0 run and by three quarter-time the Spartans were clinging to the 61-58 advantage after another 10 points that term from Jess McDowell-White while Summah Evans had seven for the Dolphins.

That set up a tantalising final quarter and it was the Dolphins who took control with 28 points to 18 on the back of shooting 11/15 from the field to the 7/22 from the Spartans to come from behind and secure the seven-point win to retain top spot.

The Spartans now have just one game left in their regular season and that's away to the Brisbane Capitals on Saturday July 18 while Cairns back up on the road on Saturday night against the North Gold Coast Seahawks.

NBL1 NORTH 2026 SEASON | FIRST NATIONS ROUND

SOUTHERN DISTRICTS SPARTANS 79 (J McDowell-White 23, Cowling 18, Solway 15)

CAIRNS DOLPHINS 86 (S Evans 22, Bond 16, T Evans 14, Loyd 14)