South Spotlight | Drmic helps Chargers win Tasmanian showcase

Featured image: MJB Photography

Anthony Drmic hit the biggest shot of the night where he plays with the Tasmania JackJumpers and top-scored for the Hobart Chargers in 89-87 win at MyState Bank Arena over the Northern Force.

It was a showcase of Tasmanian basketball in the first NBL1 South meeting between the two clubs with the Chargers celebrating their 30-year anniversary on Saturday night by taking on the Force at the home of the NBL's JackJumpers.

The Chargers did lead for most of the night including by 10 points in the third quarter, but they could never quite shake the Force until Drmic hit his fourth three-pointer of the game with 1:15 to play which was the dagger blow before Jacob Richards and Luke Rosendale iced the win at the line.

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The Chargers held on for the two-point win to improve to 4-1 to start the new season under the coaching of JackJumpers assistant coach Jarrad Weeks.

After an injury interrupted NBL26 with the JackJumpers, Drmic is looking to get back to top gear and showed he's not far off with 29 points, nine rebounds and five steals with 4/8 three-point shooting in over 34 minutes for the Chargers.

Luke Rosendale also had 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Hobart with Jacob Ricahrds providing 21 points, 11 boards and nine assists with 10/15 free-throw shooting, and Ambros Eugster nine points and three rebounds.

Despite the loss and the Force now slipping to a 1-4 record, there was plenty of encouraging signs with Aaron Ridley III finishing with 22 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots with 4/11 three-point shooting.

Logan Gibson also had 21 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and two steals on 9/12 shooting while pulling down six offensive boards along the way.

Kye Savage also had 12 points, nine rebounds, six assists and five steals, Vincent DeAngelo 12 points and two assists with 3/6 three-point shooting, and Aiden Gibson eight points, six boards and two assists.

Hobart managed to open up a seven-point lead in the showcase of Tasmania basketball in the first quarter but the Force hit back with their own 8-0 run, and by quarter-time it was the Chargers narrowly leading 26-23.

Hobart were able to push back out to an eight-point lead in the second frame but again Northern were able to respond and by the half-time break it was the Chargers only on top 47-43.

By the break, Hobart were shooting 50 per cent to the Force's 43 while both teams only combined to go 10/28 from three-point range with the biggest difference being the 17 free-throw attempts to the Chargers and just six from the Force.

Jacob Richards and Luke Rosendale also combined for 27 of Hobart's 47 points before Anthony Drmic fired up on his NBL home court to have 20 points to his name by three quarter-time.

But still the Chargers couldn’t shake off the Force who had 17 points and 10 rebounds already from Logan Gibson going into the fourth period.

The biggest shot of the night then was made by Drmic with 1:15 left in the game and his three ball put Hobart on top by three.

Even with a triple from Vincent DeAngelo in the last minute that kept the Force close, Richards and Rosendale combined to go 5/6 at the free-throw line down the stretch to secure the win for the Chargers.

Hobart remain at home to host the Casey Cavaliers on Friday night while the Force play that same team on Anzac Day.

NBL1 SOUTH 2026 SEASON | ROUND 3

HOBART CHARGERS 89 (Drmic 29, Rosendale 22, Richards 21)

NORTHERN FORCE 87 (Ridley III 22, Gibson 21, Savage 12, DeAngelo 12)