North Spotlight | Spartans go 3-0 with win in Mackay

Featured image: @taylorearnshaw.photog

Two undefeated NBL1 North teams locked horns on Anzac Day and it was the Southern Districts who improved to 3-0 with all their starters having strong showings in the 84-78 road win over the Mackay Meteorettes.

The Meteorettes opened the season also at Mackay Basketball Stadium beating the Rockhampton Cyclones by 19 points while the Spartans arrived on Anzac Day having beaten both the Brisbane Capitals and Cyclones by a combined 73 points.

That set up a terrific Anzac Day match up and in the end it was the performance of all five starters led by Abby Solway top-scoring that saw the Spartans score the six-point victory to improve to 3-0 on the season with the Meteorettes now 1-1 after two home games.

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The Spartans have now scored three wins in three attempts to open the season and return home after the double this weekend in Rockhampton and Mackay.

After the McDowell-White sisters dominated in the wins against the Capitals and Cyclones, they weren’t needed to do the same on Anzac Day either as several teammates stepped up further.

That included Abby Solway delivering 14 points in the first half on the way to 19 in the game with seven rebounds and 4/10 three-point shooting.

Kalani Purcell added 14 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and three steals with Emily Preston contributing 13 points, seven boards, four steals and three assists.

The McDowell-White duo still made strong contributions too with Jess finishing with 17 points, nine assists and five rebounds, and Hayley 10 points and six boards despite not making a three-point shot after hitting nine on her way to 41 points the night before.

Mackay have started the season with two home games and now have a win and a loss on the board despite the best efforts of Monique Bobongie with 23 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals.

Cheyenne Bobongie added 17 points, five rebounds and three assists, River Baldwin 16 points and five boards, Chelsea Brook nine points, three steals, two rebounds and two assists, and Sammie Puisis nine points and three steals.

The Meteorettes won big to open the season at home while the Spartans had two thumping victories to open 2026 too to set the stage for the Anzac Day match up, and the Spartans went up six early before Mackay responded with 12 straight points.

By the end of the first quarter, it was the Meteorettes narrowly leading 22-21 with them doing a good job to limit Hayley and Jess McDowell-White to just the six combined points on 0/3 three-point shooting.

Southern Districts took control in the second frame with 24 points to 13 on the back of shooting 8/19 from the field and 5/13 from deep opposed to the 4/16 from the Meteorettes who also only managed 2/8 from long-range.

That saw the Spartans leading 45-35 going into half-time and even though Hayley McDowell-White didn’t manage a triple after hitting nine the night before, sister Jess had 10 points already with Abby Solway adding 14 for their team's 10-point edge.

Monique and Cheyenne Bobongie brought Mackay back into the contest in the third quarter sparking a 10-0 run and by three quarter-time the Spartans were only clinging to the 64-59 advantage.

The Meteorettes then drew back level in the final quarter as well and had all the momentum on their home floor, but Southern Districts responded impressively and ended up securing the six-point win to improve to 2-0 to start the season.

The Meteorettes now hit the road next week for the first time this season to play Logan Thunder on Friday and the Ipswich Force on Saturday while the Spartans return home on Saturday to host the Brisbane Capitals.

NBL1 NORTH 2026 SEASON | ANZAC ROUND

MACKAY METEORETTES 78 (M Bobongie 23, C Bobongie 17, Baldwin 16)

SOUTHERN DISTRICTS SPARTANS 84 (Solway 19, J McDowell-White 17, Purcell 14)