North Spotlight | Pirates overpower Force for second win

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The South West Metro Pirates turned a one-point half-time lead into the 74-61 home victory on Sunday in the NBL1 North over the Ipswich Force as they recorded a second win of 2026.

The Pirates were back home at Hibiscus Sports Stadium trying to bounce back from the previous night's loss to the Brisbane Capitals while the Force were also looking to bounce back from a loss last week to the Sunshine Coast Phoenix.

It was then a tight and low scoring battle in the first half with South West Metro just leading 34-33 by half-time before the Pirates took charge in the second half with 40 points to 28 on the way to the 13-point victory.

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The win improves the Pirates to a 2-6 record on the season on the back of going 13/25 from three-point territory to the 2/13 from the Force who now slip to 2-5 as a result of the defeat.

There was a lot to like especially after half-time for South West Metro with Steph Bairstow showing the way with 10 points, 14 rebounds and four assists with her team +17 in her 33 minutes.

Hannah Simental top scored with 20 points, six rebounds and six assists with Charlotte Whittaker contributing 18 points, six boards and three assists, Jenna Kilty 13 points, four rebounds and three assists, and Kate Head nine points, four boards, two assists and two steals.

Captain Tessa Morrison also had a significant impact in the win for the Pirates even without scoring showing the leadership that had her captain also in the NBL1 West at the East Perth Eagles. She had seven rebounds and a block in her 18 minutes.

Valerie Huerta top scored in the loss for Ipswich with 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, four assists and two steals with Hannah Young adding 13 points and six boards.

Natasha Elliott added 10 points and four rebounds with Olivia West contributing nine points and five boards.

South West Metro were trying to bounce back from losing the previous night to the Brisbane Capitals while Ipswich lost last week to the Sunshine Coast Phoenix, and it was a tight battle in the opening period.

The Pirates were narrowly leading 19-18 by quarter-time with Charlotte Whittaker having seven of those points with the home team taking three more shots and three more foul shots.

But Ipswich stayed in touch on 53 per cent shooting with Hannah Young scoring seven of their 18 points.

It was then 15 points apiece to both teams in the second period with the Pirates narrowly leading 34-33 heading into the half-time interval with Whittaker up to 13 points while Hannah Simental had 11.

But Valerie Huerta had 11 points for Ipswich by half-time and with the Force forcing the Pirates into 10 turnovers, they stayed in touch to only trail by a point at the half.

South West Metro then began to pull away in the third quarter with 18 points to 13 and then kept that going in the fourth with another 22 points to 15 on the way to the 13-point home victory to get a second win on the board for 2026.

The Pirates will be back in action next Saturday hosting the Rockhampton Cyclones while Ipswich will be on the road to the North Gold Coast Seahawks that same evening.

NBL1 NORTH 2026 SEASON | HERITAGE ROUND

SOUTH WEST METRO PIRATES 74 (Simental 20, Whittaker 18, Kilty 13)

IPSWICH FORCE 61 (Huerta 20, Young 13, Elliott 10)