NBL1 North Recap | Friday Women's Round 15

Four NBL1 North teams looking to finish their 2022 seasons on a high locked horns to open the last round of the regular season on Friday night and it was wins for the Red City Roar and Darwin Salties.

Red City Roar and Gold Coast Rollers did battle on Friday night just looking to end the season on a high note with playoffs out of reach, and it was Red City who ended up prevailing 88-74.

Mia Loyd had a massive night for the Roar with 31 points and 12 rebounds on 12/18 shooting with Ariana Moorer adding 21 points and 12 boards. Sarah Heard put up 23 points for Gold Coast.

The Darwin Salties then recorded their sixth win of the season by beating the seven-win Rockhampton Cyclones 88-76 on the road to open their final round double.

All five starters for Darwin scored in double-figures including Lauren Heard's 16 points and nine rebounds with Chelsea Brook adding 14 points and 13 boards. Heidi Freeburn delivered 17 points including a triple to close the game in the final match of her career.

The last regular season round of the NBL1 North will continue on Saturday evening with the Brisbane Capitals at home to the Northside Wizards with USC Rip City also taking on the Sunshine Coast Phoenix and the Cairns Dolphins beating the Townsville Flames.

The Ipswich Force are also at home to the Gold Coast Rollers with the Logan Thunder hosting the South West Metro Pirates, the Mackay Meteorettes taking on the Darwin Salties and the Southern Districts Spartans playing the North Gold Coast Seahawks.

Then the season will wrap up on Sunday with the South West Metro Pirates playing the Sunshine Coast Phoenix, Red City Roar facing Logan Thunder, and USC Rip City taking on the Northside Wizards.

NBL1 NORTH – 2022 WOMEN'S SEASON
ROUND 15 – FRIDAY NIGHT

RED CITY ROAR 88 defeated GOLD COAST ROLLERS 74

The last round of the NBL1 East regular season got underway on Friday night with the Red City Roar scoring a 14-point home win against the Gold Coast Rollers.

Neither the Roar nor Rollers came into the Friday night clash at Paul Bancroft Centre still in playoff contention but still determined to close their 2022 seasons on a high.

It was the visiting Gold Coast who started the better putting together 12 straight points during the opening quarter and to be leading 21-14 by quarter-time.

The Rollers pushed their lead out further during the second quarter too to lead by as much as 13 points and to still be on top 43-33 by the main break.

However, Gold Coast ran out of legs as the second half progressed and Red City were able to work their way on top including their own 13-0 run during the third quarter to tun a 10-point deficit into a three-point lead.

The Roar were able to capitalise on that and end up leading by as much as 18 points in the fourth quarter to end up winning 88-74.

The victory improves Red City to a 5-13 record on the season with one more game to go at home to the Logan Thunder on Sunday. The Rollers are now 6-12 following the loss ahead of finishing their season away to Ipswich Force on Saturday.

Mia Loyd had a night out in the win for the Roar finishing with 31 points, 12 rebounds and four steals on the back of shooting 13/22 from the field.

Ariana Moorer added 21 points, 12 rebounds, six steals, four assists and two blocked shots with Myka Arthur contributing 17 points, nine assists, six rebounds, four steals and two blocks, and Jaylen Cooper 10 points and four boards.

Angela Lou Beadle finished the night with 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Gold Coast while it was Sarah Heard who top-scored with 23 points, six boards and three blocks.

Nyah Morris added 12 points and six rebounds, Siarn Woods 11 points, six boards, five assists and four steals, and Susi Walmsley five points, five assists and four rebounds.

ROCKHAMPTON CYCLONES 76 lost to DARWIN SALTIES 88

The Darwin Salties opened their last weekend of their first NBL1 North season on the road with a hard earned 12-point win over the Rockhampton Cyclones.

It was the final game of the 2022 season for the Cyclones and they were on their home deck at Bravus Arena and attempting to give Heidi Freeburn the ideal send off to her tremendous career.

It was Darwin who started strongly away from home, though, by holding Rockhampton to just the six points in the first quarter and leading by seven at quarter-time.

The Salties really asserted their control over the game in the second quarter with nine straight points to push their lead out to 19, and they were leading 37-18 heading into the half-time break.

While it was an entertaining and high-scoring second half with Rockhampton able to outscore Darwin 58 points to 51, it was still the Salties who ended up winning 88-76.

The win improves the Salties to a 5-13 record in their first NBL1 North season ahead of finishing away to the Mackay Meteorettes on Saturday. 

Rockhampton's season finishes at 7-12 and despite the loss, Heidi Freeburn got to finish the game in style hitting a couple of late triples including one on what was just about the last possession in a send off she will never forget.

Freeburn ended her last game with 17 points, four rebounds and two assists while hitting three triples for the night.

The Salties proved too strong, though, with all five of their starters scoring in double-figures with Lauren Heard leading the way with 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Chelsea Brook added 14 points, 13 rebounds and three assists, Ruby Porter 15 points, Teyla Evans 14 points, nine boards, three assists and three blocked shots, and Serena Waters 13 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Madison Torresin also finished with 15 points and six rebounds for Rockhampton with Katrina Clifford contributing 11 points and five assists, and Lara McSpadden 10 points and 15 rebounds.