North Spotlight | Thunder beat Wizards to go top

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The defending NBL1 North champion Logan Thunder are now in top spot having won nine straight games to replace the Cairns Dolphins following the 93-80 home victory over the Northside Wizards.

The Thunder and Wizards arrived at Bendigo Bank Cornubia Park Sports Centre as the two hottest teams in the NBL1 North with Logan on an eight-game winning streak with the Wizards having won five in-a-row.

That set up a tantalising match up and the Wizards found themselves nine points up on the defending champions early but the Thunder worked on top in the second term to be leading by six at half-time.

Logan then had 22 points to 11 in the second term to be up by 17 at three quarter-time before going on to complete the 13-point victory to make it nine on the trot.

With Cairns losing at the same time to the North Gold Coast Seahawks, the Thunder now assume top spot at 11-1 while Northside are now 8-5 with a first defeat since May 29.

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While the Wizards did shoot slightly better from the field going 46 per cent to 44, it was Logan going 8/29 from downtown to 3/13 along with 21/25 at the foul line to 13/19 on the way to the 13-point win.

Logan also forced the Wizards into 20 turnovers for the night with Amandine Toi doing her damage in the first three quarters and finishing with 24 points and three assists with 7/10 shooting from the floor, 3/5 from downtown, and 7/7 at the charity stripe.

Leah Scott also produced another 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals, Prasayus Notoa 17 points, 11 assists, eight boards and three steals, and Mikhaela Cann 15 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals.

Northside missed out on a sixth straight win with Kelsey Ransom having 17 points in the first half on the way to 19 for the game with three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Nes'eya Parker-Williams had another 18 points, 12 rebounds and three assists with Alice O'Driscoll contributing 15 points and three boards, Nadeen Payne 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists, and Grace Ellis eight points, nine boards, six assists and three steals.

The two teams came into the match up as the form outfits in the NBL1 North with Logan trying to go top and Northside to further consolidate their finals positions, and it was the visiting Wizards who made the flying start.

Northside scored 10 straight points in the first term to lead by nine before Logan hit back with an 11-0 run to see scores all level at 26-26 by quarter-time.

Logan then worked on top during the second frame and scored 10 straight points to open up a 12-point lead before still being on top 55-49 by the half-time break.

Not much was between the teams but the Thunder shot 6/15 from three-point range to the 2/5 from the Wizards but the visitors stayed in touch largely through the 17 points in the opening half from Kelsey Ransom.

Logan then took further control in the third quarter with another 22 points to 11 win the lead out to 77-60 by three quarter-time on the back of shooting another 9/18 from the field to the 5/17 from the Wizards.

Amandine Toi was up to 24 points by the end of three quarters for Logan and the home team maintained control the final period on the way to the eventual 13-point victory which sees them nab top spot courtesy of Cairns losing on the same evening.

After the two more wins next weekend, Logan now travels to Cairns to take on the Dolphins on Friday night while the Wizards attempt to bounce back next Sunday at home to the Brisbane Capitals.

NBL1 NORTH 2026 SEASON | FIRST NATIONS ROUND

LOGAN THUNDER 93 (Toi 24, Scott 18, Notoa 17)

NORTHSIDE WIZARDS 80 (Ransom 19, Parker-Williams 18, O'Driscoll 15)