South Grand Final | Raiders emphatically go back-to-back

Featured image: Ian Knight Photography

The Knox Raiders made quite the statement with the 80-54 Grand Final win over the Waverley Falcons to make it back-to-back NBL1 South championships and to ensure they'll be hot favourites too at the NBL1 National Finals.

It had been a valiant effort from the Falcons to reach a second NBL1 South Grand Final in three years especially after losing front court pair Sophia Locandro and Maddi Utti even while having just regained Carley Ernst who just become a mother for the second time.

Knox arrived back at the State Basketball Centre not only as the defending South and National champions, but in ominous form having won their past 15 matches including at the same venue in the finals over the Melbourne Tigers and Sandringham Sabres.

They were at full power too and it didn’t take long for their ferocious pressure to work to good effect and they would be in control of the Grand Final virtually from the outset.

Knox would end up leading by seven at quarter-time, 18 at the half and then scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter to put the contest to bed and go on to score the eventual 26-point victory.

It's back-to-back championships for the Raiders on top of SEABL championships in 1992, 1994, 1996 and 2013 and now they will deservedly arrive in Adelaide next week for the NBL1 National Finals as raging favourites to go back-to-back there too.

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Paige Bradley was named MVP of the Grand Final after producing 20 points, 10 assists, four rebounds, three steals and three blocks with 9/14 field goal shooting, but it was far from a one woman show from the Raiders.

Waverley did need to start well and they were out by four early on but Knox soon took over and by quarter-time were already leading 19-12.

The pressure the Raiders were applying on the Falcons was proving too much and they were able to get out and run as a result. Knox had 12 fast break points of their 26 in the second term and by half-time were in control leading 45-27.

Bradley was already up to 13 points for the defending champions while Alicia Froling and Rachel Bell both had nine points and four rebounds.

Knox were shooting 49 per cent from the field to 33 for the first half along with going 6/7 to 2/2 at the foul line and it did appear a long way back for Waverley despite the eight points with a couple of three balls from Carley Ernst.

Waverley did fight hard to try to will themselves back into the contest in the third quarter but Knox still extended their lead to 21 by three quarter-time.

The Raiders then put the Grand Final to bed as a contest to start the fourth quarter with the first eight points including three balls to 200-plus game veteran Leah Santomaggio and Paige Burrows.

From there Knox were able to celebrate their way to the 26-pont victory on the back of shooting 43 per cent to 32 with 11/30 from the outside to 5/19.

On top of what Bradley provided Waverley, Alicia Froling delivered 15 points and 15 rebounds with Agnes Emma-Nnopu contributing 11 points, seven boards, two steals and two blocks, and Rachel Bell 11 points and five rebounds.

Paige Burrows also ended up with eight points and three assists, and Haliegh Reinoehl eight points and four rebounds.

Waverley still have the National Finals in Adelaide to look forward to next week with Carley Ernst having top scored in the Grand Final with 12 points with three assists and two rebounds.

Katelyn Shumate added 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists, Amelia Todhunter six points, Georgia Pineau six points and five rebounds, and Liana Kinkela six points and two boards.

NBL1 SOUTH 2026 SEASON | GRAND FINAL

KNOX RAIDERS 80 (Bradley 20, Froling 15, Bell 11, Emma-Nnopu 11)

WAVERLEY FALCONS 54 (Ernst 12, Shumate 10, Kinkela 6, Todhunter 6, Pineau 6)

Grand Final MVP: Paige Bradley (Knox Raiders)