North Wrap | Men's Round 14

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The Cairns Marlins completed the first ever perfect men's season anywhere in the country by ending the NBL1 North campaign at 16-0 while the Gold Coast Rollers continued their hot form and the Sunshine Coast Phoenix and Logan Thunder secured home finals next week.

>> NORTH SPOTLIGHT | ROLLERS PUT UP ANOTHER MONSTER SCORE

>> NORTH SPOTLIGHT | FORCE SURVIVE DESPITE LOSS TO THUNDER

>> NORTH SPOTLIGHT | MARLINS COMPLETE 16-0 SEASON

>> AMARCO HIGHLIGHTS NBL1 PATHWAY TO NBL

>> FIRST NATIONS DESIGN SPARKS DARRYL JR'S NBL1 RETURN

FRIDAY

Cairns Marlins (116) defeated Rockhampton Rockets (91)

Amarco Doyle and Ky Stattmann combined for 56 points as the Cairns Marlins remained undefeated at 16-0 to close the regular season with the 116-91 home win against the Rockhampton Rockets.

The Marlins had already guaranteed the regular season championship ahead of hosting the Rockets at Trinity Ford Stadium but had a chance to complete the undefeated run to the finals on the same night they were celebrating the 10-year reunion of the 2016 championship.

Cairns there then leading the entire way against a Rockhampton team trying to avoid finishing their season on a 10-game losing run.

The Marlins were leading by six points at both quarter and half times before then outscoring the Rockets 64 points to 45 in the second half on the way to the 25-point victory to finish the season with a perfect 16-0 record.

Once again five players from the Marlins scored in double figures and one player that didn’t was Kobe McDowell-White who dished out 10 assists to go with five rebounds and two points.

Amarco Doyle continued his hot form since signing in the NBL for the Illawarra Hawks and had 28 points, three rebounds and two assists on 11/15 field goal shooting and 4/7 from long-range.

Ky Stattmann also had 28 points with 12/22 field goal shooting while Luca Yates contributed 16 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two assists, Kody Stattmann 16 points, nine boards and six assists, and Kyle Leslie 14 points, five rebounds and two assists.

Rockhampton might have suffered the ninth straight defeat but Jalen Graham still finished with 24 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

Isaac Ayoubi also had 19 points, four rebounds and two steals, Treauhn Williams 17 points and four boards, Junior Madut 12 points and nine assists, and Keahn Tuakura 11 points and six rebounds.

SATURDAY

South West Metro Pirates (91) lost to Mackay Meteors (95)

The Mackay Meteors needed to win to confirm their playoff position and they got what they needed beating the South West Metro Pirates but they had to fight hard the whole way to do so.

The Pirates were playing the last game of their season hosting the Meteors at Hibiscus Sports Stadium with Mackay having a double this weekend and needing to win at least one to lock away a playoff spot.

The Meteors started on fire with a 13-point lead in the first quarter and still being on top 28-17 by quarter-time.

Mackay were still leading 52-41 by half-time before South West Metro fired back with 27 points to 17 in the third quarter and even briefly hit the front.

The Meteors responded again, though, to get back out to an 11-point lead and hold out the Pirates in the finish for the four-point victory to improve to a 9-6 record and stay solid inside the top six.

Cameron Goldfinch delivered 24 points, five rebounds and two assists with 5/12 shooting from the outside with Derek Emelifeonwu adding 16 points and six assists, and Maurice Calloo 14 points, three boards and two assists.

Jeron Jamerson also had 13 points, six rebounds and three assists, Kobey Sager 12 points, eight boards and three assists, Seth Ham seven points and eight rebounds, and Jalen Johnson seven points and seven boards.

South West Metro end their season with a 4-12 record with those four wins coming with Flynn Cameron in the line-up and Louis Jones produced 25 points, nine points, three steals and two assists.

Harrison Huber also had 18 points, two rebounds and two assists, Brandon Edwards 14 points and five boards, Dominique Keyes 12 points, seven rebounds and two steals, Jonas Kowalik 11 points, three boards and three assists, and Tyrell Mason nine points, 10 rebounds, six blocks, five assists and two steals.

Brisbane Capitals (98) lost to Southern Districts Spartans (110)

This time last year and they were gearing up to compete for a championship against one another but this time around with the Southern Districts Spartans beating the Brisbane Capitals 110-98, neither remained in finals contention.

The two teams played off in the Grand Final last year before the Capitals underwent a mass transformation coming into 2026 and the Spartans' championship defence has never really got off the ground.

That meant coming into the last game of the regular season at Auchenflower Stadium and a win for the Caps could keep them a shot at reaching the finals pending other results while the Spartans were out of the running having lost four of their previous five.

The Spartans started on fire opening up a 14-point lead by quarter-time and then turning that into an 18-point advantage by half-time before Brisbane stormed back into the contest with an 11-0 run after falling down 26.

Brisbane did put up 40 points in the third quarter but could never quite get back in front and the Spartans had the answers once more down the stretch for the eventual 12-point victory.

The win sees Southern Districts end their championship defence in eighth place at 7-9 with last year's Grand Final MVP delivering 27 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds and four steals.

Andre Ugrinic added 20 points and nine rebounds with 4/5 three-point shooting, Isaih Tueta 18 points, seven assists and five boards, Griffin Bower 12 points, eight rebounds and two steals, and Max Kerle 11 points on 5/5 shooting.

As the weekend panned out, a win would have seen Brisbane play finals but it wasn’t to be and they end up seventh at 8-8.

Kai Bloom top scored for the Capitals with 27 points, five assists, four steals and three rebounds with Kai Woodfall adding 19 points and five assists with 5/12 shooting from the outside.

Brendan Teys also had 17 points and three assists, Ben Volkman 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots, Jarred Bairstow 11 points, eight boards and six assists, and Chuatwech Reath nine points, three rebounds and two steals.

Sunshine Coast Phoenix (122) defeated Northside Wizards (79)

The Sunshine Coast Phoenix unleashed their firepower once more to gear up for their finals assault with the 122-79 win over the Northside Wizards.

The Phoenix were already locked into the playoffs for a second straight season coming into their match up with the out of contention Wizards at Maroochydore Stadium but had the chance to lock in a home final.

Even without Earnest Ross in the line-up, Sunshine Coast started well to be leading 26-19 by quarter-time and then put up 39 points to 22 in the second term to be well in control at half-time 65-39.

It was another 34 points to 23 in the third quarter in favour of the Phoenix and then 23 to 17 in the fourth to secure the 43-point victory to lock themselves into third position with a 12-4 record and a three-game winning run.

Luke Anderson delivered 28 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Sunshine Coast with 11/14 shooting from the field and 4/6 from downtown.

Nelson Kahler added 22 points on 10/12 shooting, Erik Kafritsas 18 points, eight boards and three assists on 6/9 shooting from the outside, Liam Switzer 17 points, nine rebounds and two steals, and DeShawn Ross-Paiwan 17 points, six boards and four assists.

The Wizards still have one game to go in their season on Sunday with Quintin Dove delivering 31 points on 11/20 shooting from the floor, 4/11 from the outside and 5/5 at the charity stripe.

Emerson Juhasz added 12 points on 4/7 three-point shooting, Tyler Williams 10 points, Durrell McDonald eight points, two assists and two steals, and Jed Richardson seven points, six boards and two assists.

Townsville Heat (109) defeated Rockhampton Rockets (97)

The Townsville Heat closed their regular season on a winning note at home with the 109-97 victory against the Rockhampton Rockets.

The Heat had lost six of their last seven matches to slip from playoff contention ahead of hosting the Rockets at Carmichael Ford Stadium with Rockhampton arriving fresh off a ninth straight defeat the previous night against the Cairns Marlins.

Townsville started on fire with 33 points to 21 in the first quarter and then remained in control the rest of the evening leading by as much as 18 points and then with 31 to 25 in the last term went on to score the 12-point victory.

The Heat end the regular season with a 5-11 record with Steven Richardson Jr delivering 23 points, three rebounds and three assists with 3/5 three-point shooting.

Isaac Weldon added 18 points, 10 rebounds and two assists, Richard Peachey 17 points, five boards and five assists, and Ethan Betts 15 points, six rebounds and four assists.

Rockhampton finish at 2-14 having lost their last 10 matches in 2026 with Jack Tweedy top scoring with 24 points and three rebounds with 4/7 shooting from the outside.

Isaac Ayoubi also had 22 points, four assists and three rebounds, Junior Madut 16 points, seven assists, four boards and three steals, Keahn Tuakura 14 points and six rebounds, and Treauhn Williams 10 points and eight boards.

Logan Thunder (96) defeated Ipswich Force (93)

Ipswich Force missed a chance to keep their finals destiny in their own hands with Logan Thunder winning on 24 points and 18 assists from Shaun Bruce but things fell their way where they will make the playoffs.

There was plenty at stake for both teams at Bendigo Bank Cornubia Park Sports Centre with Logan needing to win to try and stay third while Ipswich could potentially miss finals without a win.

Considering the firepower and experience on both teams too, they deserve to feel like they can have an impact during the finals but the Saturday night match up was going to play a big part in that.

The scores were all level at 24-24 by quarter-time before Ipswich had worked on top to be leading 53-40 by half-time.

While Logan did respond with 26 points to 19 in the third quarter, Ipswich were still leading 72-66 by three quarter-time and on target to lock away their playoff position.

But the Thunder hit back and by the time Tyrone Fui scored going to the basket inside the last two minutes, the home team had grabbed the one-point lead.

Lamar Patterson responded with two free throws for Ipswich before Shaun Bruce responded in kind for Logan and then Lachlan Anderson scored to put the Force back on top by one.

Coming out of a timeout, Logan went quickly inside to Cal Dalton who made a nice move to make his bucket to return the Thunder to the lead but it did leave 12 seconds on the clock for the Force.

Anderson attempted a similar shot to what he made 20 seconds earlier but this time it rattled out and Logan were able to complete the one-point win.

Despite the win, it wasn’t enough for Logan to stay third with Sunshine Coast Phoenix leapfrogging them with both teams ending the regular season with identical 12-4 record.

Shaun Bruce did nothing to hurt his MVP credentials finishing with 24 points, 18 assists and eight rebounds for the Thunder in the win with 9/10 free-throw shooting.

Zac Triplett also had 24 points and three rebounds with 4/11 shooting from the outside, and Cal Dalton 19 points, five boards and four assists along with the go-ahead bucket with 12 seconds on the clock.

Tyrone Fui added 13 points and four rebounds with 3/3 three-point shooting, and Tane Kirisome nine points, three assists and two rebounds.

The loss had the potential to end the finals hopes for Ipswich should the Brisbane Capitals win at the same time, but they lost their Grand Final rematch to the Southern Districts Spartans.

That means that with an 8-8 record, Ipswich will most likely finish in sixth place and take on the Phoenix to open the finals.

Lachlan Anderson delivered 31 points, five rebounds and three assists for the Force with 9/18 shooting from the field, 3/8 from beyond the arc and 10/12 at the free-throw line.

Lamar Patterson also had 25 points, seven assists and four rebounds with 4/11 shooting from the outside with Merrick Small adding 15 points and 12 boards, Will Mahoney 14 points, four rebounds and two assists, and Jason Ralph nine assists.

SUNDAY

Gold Coast Rollers (123) defeated Mackay Meteors (87)

The Gold Coast Rollers put up another monster score, had 39 points in the third quarter and got a combined 56, 17 rebounds and 12 assists from James Whitt and Jensen Bradtke to close regular season beating the Mackay Meteors 123-87.

Gold Coast were already locked into a second place finish even before hosting the Meteors at Carrara Indoor Sports Stadium on Sunday to close the regular season.

Mackay beat the South West Petro Pirates the previous night as well to lock in their playoff position but taking on Gold Coast was a whole other matter with the Rollers having won six straight with an average score of 117.3 points and winning margin of 28 in those games.

Gold Coast didn’t take long to get going once more with a 10-0 run in the first quarter on the way to leading 29-15 by quarter-time.

It was another 29 points to 17 in the second quarter and Gold Coast had a monster 39 points in the third quarter which included going on a 16-0 run.

Mackay did manage 34 points themselves in the final quarter but still the Rollers cruised to the 39-point win on the back of scoring another 126 points on a scorching 64 per cent shooting from the field including 11/26 from the outside and 14/19 at the free-throw line.

That means that Gold Coast ends the regular season in second position with a 14-2 record and a seven-game winning streak.

James Whitt had another standout performance for the Rollers with 29 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals with 14/18 field goal shooting.

Jensen Bradtke added 27 points, 11 rebounds and three assists with Boston Mazlin having 17 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals on 3/5 shooting from the outside.

Ashley McGrath also had 17 points on 7/11 shooting with 3/6 from deep with Preston Le Gassick contributing 13 points, four rebounds and four assists, and Brodie McGregor 11 points, four boards and three assists.

Mackay now finish the regular season in fifth position at 9-7 with Jalen Johnson providing 15 points, five rebounds and two steals, Justin Ochaya 14 points, two boards, two assists and two steals, and Kobey Sager 12 points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists.

Derek Emelifeonwu contributed 11 points and two steals, and Seth Ham eight points, seven rebounds and two assists.

Northside Wizards (91) defeated North Gold Coast Seahawks (85)

The Northside Wizards closed their regular season on a winning note at home with the 91-85 victory against the North Gold Coast Seahawks.

The Wizards were back home at Northside Indoor Sports Centre for the very last game of the regular season with them trying to avoid a fourth straight defeat with the Seahawks arriving having lost five in-a-row but having a chance to avoid the wooden spoon.

It was a strong start from Northside with 22 points to 12 in the first quarter before still leading by 10 at both half-time and three quarter-time.

Northside were up 15 early in the fourth quarter before North Gold Coast fired back with a 31-point term but it wasn’t quite enough for the Wizards going on to score the six-point victory.

Northside end the season with a 5-11 record in ninth place with Jed Richardson delivering 24 points, 10 rebounds and two assists with 4/4 three-point shooting.

Tyler Williams also had 19 points, six assists, four rebounds and four steals, Quintin Dove 16 points and five boards, and Durrell McDonald 14 points, six assists, five rebounds and two steals.

North Gold Coast stay in last spot at 2-14 with six straight defeats to close the season with Sean Murphy producing 26 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocked shots.

Conor O'Sullivan added 19 points, seven assists and four rebounds, Isaiah Oste-Pinder 13 points, four boards and three assists, and Jasraj Gill nine points, seven rebounds and four assists.