North Spotlight | Wigness fires Spartans to bounce back win

Featured image: @taylorearnshaw.photog

Tamuri Wigness might have just missed a triple double but had a monster showing with 31 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists to lead the defending NBL1 North champion Southern Districts Spartans to the 117-101 win over the Townsville Heat.

Southern Districts came into the weekend in seventh position having lost their past couple as they hosted the visiting Townsville at Rowland Cowan Stadium.

Townsville were coming off a win the night before by 18 points over the Brisbane Capitals to start their road double while Southern Districts were playing their lone game of the weekend.

After the Heat had an early six-point lead, the Spartans took control to be leading by as much as seven points in the first term themselves, by 12 in the second, 21 in the third and 25 by the fourth on the way to the eventual 16-point defeat.

>> NORTH SPOTLIGHT | PHOENIX OVERCOME SLOW START, DOVE'S 41

>> NORTH SPOTLIGHT | LOGAN FLEX WITH ANOTHER BRUCE TRIPLE DOUBLE

>> ALYSSA EMBRACING LIFE IN BRISBANE, AS A PRO

>> NORTH WRAP | MEN'S HERITAGE ROUND

>> HERITAGE ROUND | ROCKY BASKETBALL EVERYTHING FOR TWEEDYS

The win improves the Spartans to a 5-5 record as reigning champions with the Heat returning home having split their double head to now sit on a 3-6 record.

It was a domination from Southern Districts on the boards with 69 rebounds to 35 for the game including 27 to 10 at the offensive end but that was somewhat offset with the 22 turnovers they had to just 11 from Townsville.

Southern Districts avoided a third straight defeat as defending champions and Grand Final MVP Tamuri Wigness was a huge reason for that just missing a triple double with 31 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.

Troy Baxter Jr also had 24 points, seven rebounds, three steals, three blocks and two assists, Max Kerle 18 points and five boards, and Cameron Thew 11 points, 17 boards and two blocked shots.

Andre Ugrinic also had eight points, nine rebounds and three assists on 4/5 shooting, Ben Hastings seven points and four assists, and Griffin Biwer six points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots.

Townsville couldn’t quite make it a double win weekend on the road with Nathaniel Pollard Jr producing 23 points, 13 rebounds and there assists on 10/13 field goal shooting.

Steven Richardson Jr added 22 points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals, Richard Peachey 22 points, four boards, four steals and three assists, Max Norton 16 points on 5/11 three-point shooting, and Ethan Betts 10 points, 10 assists and four steals.

The Spartans were playing their only game of the weekend with Townsville fresh off beating the Brisbane Capitals the night before and the two teams put on a show in the opening term combining for 58 points.

It was Southern Districts leading 30-28 by quarter-time and they were shooting a scorching 61 per cent from the field to overcome the six turnovers to hold the two-point lead with Tamuri Wigness having eight points.

Richard Peachey already had 14 points for Townsville with 3/3 three-point shooting while the rest of the team struggled to be just shooting 5/16.

The Spartans took over in the second period with 26 points to 16 to go into half-time on top 56-44 with Wigness up to 17 points while his team were still shooting 50 per cent from the floor and left points out there going 10/20 at the foul line.

Peachey didn’t add to his 14 points in the second quarter with Steven Richardson Jr up to 10 points while as a team Townsville were shooting just 42 per cent and took 10 fewer foul shots.

Southern Districts then continued to build on that advantage and it got out to 21 points in the third quarter and they were still up 89-70 by three quarter-time thanks to another 33 points to 26.

The Spartans then secured the 16-point victory end to breathe some life back into their championship defence.

The defending champion Spartans now are on the road in a tantalising match up with the Gold Coast Rollers on Friday night while Townsville are back home to host the North Gold Coast Seahawks on Saturday.

NBL1 NORTH 2026 SEASON | ROUND 8

SOUTHERN DISTRICTS SPARTANS 117 (Wigness 31, Baxter Jr 24, Kerle 18)

TOWNSVILLE HEAT 101 (Pollard Jr 23, Peachey 22, Richardson Jr 22)