IN one of the highest scoring games of the season, the Gold Coast Rollers held on in overtime to claim a stirring five-point win over the Ipswich Force in the NBL1 North Men’s on the weekend.

The Force hosted the Rollers at JBS Stadium on Sunday afternoon, looking to cause an upset over the best side in the competition. Coming into the match, Gold Coast had sustained just the two losses and sat comfortably at the top of the table. Although Ipswich was performing strongly with 11 wins and five losses next to its name, a boilover was still needed to get victory number 11.

In a thoroughly entertaining affair, the momentum shifted between the two sides over the course of four quarters. The first half belonged to the home side, who were firing on all cylinders against one of the best offensive teams in the competition. However, a 33-16 third period in favour of the Rollers flipped the game on its head, and the teams could not be separated at the end of the fourth quarter. Extra time proved to be a bit of an arm wrestle as well, but the Rollers managed to get the job done with the final score standing at 115-110.

The Rollers could not have got over the line if not for the massive performance of Todd Blanchfield, who carried his side to a season-defining victory.

Ipswich Force (110) def. by Gold Coast Rollers (115)

Todd Blanchfield – 42 points, 19 rebounds, two assists, two steals

Blanchfield was a man on a mission for the Rollers, completely dominating two key areas of the game and playing an invaluable role for the winning side.

The big man played all 45 minutes in a tireless effort that demonstrated his willingness to get Gold Coast to a massive win for its season.

He finished with a game-high 42 points, showcasing his ability to find the bottom of the net in a variety of ways and making himself a much tougher matchup for the opposition bigs. Blanchfield was the go-to option for the Rollers, making 13 of his 28 attempts from the field and five three-pointers on 12 attempts.

His ability to drive into the lane and draw plenty of contact resulted in a lot of trips to the free throw line, where he made 11 of his 13 shots and kept Gold Coast’s score ticking over in a big way.

Blanchfield was also the game’s premier force on the glass, pulling down a whopping 19 boards in a hugely important factor for the winning side. Seven of these were on the offensive end and helped create plenty of second-chance scoring opportunities which came in handy later in the match.

Blanchfield was a force to be reckoned with in an outstanding individual performance from the big man, who was a key figure in a terrific win for the visitors.