EXCITING young forward Kyle Bowen helped spark a second half comeback and drive the Knox Raiders to the National Championship with a tight win over the Mackay Meteors at the 2024 NBL1 National Finals on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday.

With both teams getting two wins over the first two days, the decider was set between the two form sides of the tournament. The Meteors would have one slight advantage as the tournament was held in their home state of Queensland, but Knox was also unbeaten throughout the weekend, so it was tough to pick a winner coming in.

It was Mackay that started strongest, with the Meteors jumping out to a 10-point lead at quarter time. That buffer was reduced to seven at the main break, but the Queensland-based side was still in control of the contest. However, the second half saw the Raiders flip a switch, taking the lead early in the fourth and holding off a late charge from the Meteors to snag the ultimate prize with a three-point win.

In a game that needed someone to step up and take charge, it was Bowen that answered the call with a clutch showing in the final game of the season.

Knox Raiders (87) def. Mackay Meteors (84)

Kyle Bowen – 25 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, three steals, two blocks

Bowen announced himself as a forward to watch with an MVP performance on the big stage on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday afternoon.

The 23-year-old looked a player ready to take the next step, and was willing to put Knox on his back in several facets of the game.

As a scorer, he was a three-level threat, pouring in buckets from almost anywhere. Bowen worked in the pick and roll nicely, setting big screens to help the guards create separation and running the exact right line to get in the passing lane en route to the hoop.

From the field, he shot 10/17 while nailing three triples on five attempts in a balanced scoring display. Although his team struggled in the first half, Bowen was a consistent scorer across all four quarters, and kept the Raiders in the match with some vital baskets prior to the main break.

He was also a monster on the glass, with no one topping or equalling his 15 boards for the match. Six of these were offensive rebounds, and allowed him to keep Knox’s score ticking over with easy second chance lay-ups.

Defensively Bowen made an impact too, recording three steals and two blocks as he looked to shut down any sort of Mackay score, and locked up his opponent more often than not.

With the NBL season approaching and Melbourne United looking to finalise its rotation ahead of the fixture, Bowen certainly made a strong case for himself with a massive performance in the NBL1 National Final.