West Finals | Flames rediscover offensive bite

Featured image: Drew Molodstov | @thedrewmedia

The Rockingham Flames had been an offensive juggernaut all season only to struggle a little in the first two finals but they got all that back to blow the Cockburn Cougars away in the first three quarters to advance to the NBL1 West Grand Final with the 116-102 win.

The Flames closed the regular season as the highest scoring team in the league with 106.2 points a game having only not reached triple figures six teams across the 22 matches.

They had gone for 110-plus 10 times as well but then the qualifying final got away from them giving up a 22-3 run in the fourth quarter to lose at home to the Joondalup Wolves.

Then despite beating the Perry Lakes Hawks on Thursday night, they did only put up 88 points for their equal lowest scoring performance all season.

Rockingham were then facing a lethal team capable of putting up big numbers too when they faced Cockburn at Wally Hagan Stadium in the preliminary final with the Cougars on the ultimate high from their win against the defending champion Buccaneers in Geraldton last Saturday night.

Cockburn scored 110 points in that win over the Buccs to have reached triple figures in seven of their last 10 games too so it had all the hallmarks of a shootout, and that's how the preliminary final started.

The two teams combined for 62 points in the first quarter with Rockingham leading 34-28 by quarter-time with Ryan Godfrey and Blake Jones having nine points each while as a team they were shooting at a scorching 72 per cent with the Cougars going at 50.

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Rockingham were able to keep that pace up with another 33 points in the second quarter with shooting 13/26 from the field with 4/8 from the outside and open up a 21-point lead with Cockburn managing just 18 points on 7/21 shooting.

The Flames went into half-time leading 67-46 with two-time MVP Isaac White up to 21 points with Godfrey and Jones adding 13 apiece.

Cockburn did possess the firepower to be able to mount a fightback but Rockingham were on a mission and delivered 33 points again in the third quarter to open up a 34-point lead, and to have the game won at 100-66 by three quarter-time.

The Cougars might have put up 36 points to 16 in the last 10 minutes but it mattered little with Rockingham's win never in jeopardy as they locked away their first Grand Final appearance since winning the championship in 2022.

The most impressive aspect of Rockingham piling on 100 points in 30 minutes was they did it without their second leading scorer Michael Harris with two-time MVP White starring with 32 points and six assists with 5/10 shooting from the outside.

Ryan Godfrey is 374 games into his career and still playing a crucial role with 24 points on 6/10 three-point shooting with Emmett Naar finishing with 17 points and 11 assists, and Blake Jones 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Tevin Jackson contributed 14 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists, and Laquinton Ross nine points, 10 boards and two blocked shots.

It's a season that Cockburn still must be proud of in their first finals appearance since 2022 with Akeem Springs putting up 35 points with 12/19 shooting from the field, 5/10 from the outside and 6/6 at the free-throw line.

Johny Narkle also had 28 points, six rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks, Joe Bradshaw 12 points, 14 boards, four steals and two assists, and Rowan Mackenzie 10 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals.

NBL1 WEST 2026 SEASON | PRELIMINARY FINAL

COCKBURN COUGARS 102 (Springs 35, Narkle 28, Bradshaw 12)

ROCKINGHAM FLAMES 116 (White 32, Godfrey 24, Jones 17, Naar 17)