North Spotlight | Rollers overpower Caps in Q4

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Jensen Bradtke delivered 27 points and 15 rebounds, and Preston Le Gassick 25 points and six assists with the Gold Coast Rollers taking charge in the fourth quarter for the hard earned 92-79 NBL1 North win over the Brisbane Capitals.

The Caps were back home at Auchenflower Stadium trying to arrest a three-game losing slide and trying to break back into the top six but it was a big test against the high-powered Gold Coast still sitting in second place and putting up over 111 points a game.

Not much separated the teams through the first three quarters with a five-point lead for Gold Coast at quarter-time before being up by just three at half-time, and by four at three quarter-time.

But then the Rollers took charge in the final period with 28 points to 19 to secure the 13-point win to improve to a 10-2 record to stay second while Brisbane are still outside the top six now at 6-7 and having lost four in-a-row.

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It took until the fourth quarter for Gold Coast to take control of the contest and they finished up shooting 49 per cent from the field to 37 from Brisbane while the Rollers also went 14/19 from the foul line to the 7/16 from the Capitals.

The Caps worked hard, though, and had 19 offensive rebounds to nine to get up 15 extra shots but they couldn’t quite take advantage of winning the possession game.

The great strength of this Gold Coast team is that on any given night they have a number of players capable of putting in match winning performances and it was Jensen Bratke's turn.

On the back of a first NBL season at the Brisbane Bullets, he delivered 27 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and two steals with 12/20 field goal shooting.

Preston Le Gassick also had 25 points, six assists and two rebounds with 4/8 three-point shooting while Boston Mazlin contributed 17 points, seven boards, seven assists and two steals, James Whitt nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals, and Brodie McGregor nine points, four boards, three assists and two blocks.

The Caps did plenty right despite night quite being able to complete the job as they tried to break back into the top six with Kai Bloom finishing with 23 points, five assists, two rebounds and two steals.

Brendan Teys added 15 points, six rebounds and four assists, Geordan Papacostas 13 points and 12 boards, Jarred Bairstow 12 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists, and Kai Woodfall eight points, two boards and two assists.

It was a big challenge for Brisbane to try and return to the winner's list up against Gold Coast and it was the Rollers leading 26-21 by the end of the first quarter on the road.

Gold Coast pushed out to an 11-point lead in the second frame but Brisbane hit back and cut that lead for the Rollers to just 44-41 by half-time.

Preston Le Gassick already had another 15 points for the Rollers with 10 each to Boston Mazlin and Jensen Bradtke while the Caps had 17 points from Kai Bloom.

It remained a tight contest through the third quarter with Gold Coast clinging to the 64-60 lead by three quarter-time with Le Gassick delivering another 10 points in the term for the Rollers.

Gold Coast then pulled away with the final quarter with 28 points to 19 on the back of shooting 11/17 from the field with 3/6 from downtown to secure the 13-point victory to maintain second position.

The Capitals now will try to avoid a fifth straight loss on Friday night at home to the Sunshine Coast Phoenix with the Rollers remaining on the road to take on the Ipswich Force next Saturday night.

NBL1 NORTH 2026 SEASON | ROUND 11

BRISBANE CAPITALS 79 (Bloom 23, Teys 15, Papacostas 13)

GOLD COAST ROLLERS 92 (Bradtke 27, Le Gassick 25, Mazlin 17)