ROUND 16 of the NBL1 North Women’s season saw the biggest individual rebounding performance to date, with Mikaela Ruef leading the Logan Thunder to a 13-point win over the Southern Districts Spartans.

The final round of the regular season took place over the weekend, with the Thunder hosting at the Bendigo Bank Cornubia Park Sports Centre on Saturday night.

It was a hugely important clash for shaping the finals, with plenty on the line for both teams. Logan was looking to consolidate second spot in the standings, while Southern Districts could have moved into the top four with an upset win.

The home side made a statement with their performance in the opening quarter, taking a 26-12 lead into the first change. That period proved to be the difference, with just a single point separating the two sides in each of the remaining periods.

Despite the Spartans’ improvement as the game went on, they were unable to replicate Logan’s dominance in the first term, as the hosts cruised home to a 70-57 win on their home court.

Although it was an important win for the team as a whole, Ruef’s performance was the biggest talking point of the match, as the star dominated the glass with a superb showing.

Logan Thunder (70) def. Southern Districts Spartans (57)

Mikaela Ruef – 25 points, 35 rebounds, two assists, one steal

Ruef’s statline was one of the most eye-catching of any Australian basketball competition in 2023, with no other player reaching such heights in a professional league.

By far the most impressive facet of her performance was her rebounding, pulling down a whopping 35 boards in an emphatic aerial outing. She accounted for over half of the team’s total rebounding count of 63 in a towering display of positioning, timing and desire for the ball.

Remarkably, she had 12 rebounds in the first quarter alone, making the most of some wayward shooting from the Spartans and ensuring the Thunder could get out in transition.

Of her 35 boards, Ruef pulled down 12 on the offensive end, often coming in succession after retaining the ball after missing a putback.

Although it was not her most efficient night from the field (5/27), Ruef’s dominance inside meant she had a fair few trips to the free throw line. From the charity stripe, she made 15 shots on 17 attempts, forcing the defence to hack a bit when defending the paint and punishing them accordingly.

No one has delivered a better rebounding performance this year than Ruef, using her reach and timing her jumps to perfection to outwork the Southern Districts bigs and get first hands on the ball. It was a huge factor in getting Logan over the line and one of the most memorable outings of 2023.