THIS past weekend saw the NBL1 finish up its fixture across Australia, with a number of grand finals taking place as the best of the best locked horns in thrilling deciders.

The North competition concluded last weekend, before the South, West, East and Central held their final matches of the season. Each match decided who would be booking a spot in the National Championship in Joondalup, which pits the best side of each competition against one another.

South

In the Men’s competition, the Knox Raiders took down the Sandringham Sabres in a thriller, winning by four points in a contest that was only decided in the final minute. The Sabres always looked within reach, before a Ke’Jhan Feagin three-pointer got momentum back on Knox’s side, and free throws sealed the deal for the Raiders at State Basketball Centre.

Feagin was the star of the show, pouring in 26 points (10/20 FG), while Bailey Nunn had a huge impact off the bench himself, producing 25 points in a crucial offensive performance.

In the Women’s competition, the Bendigo Braves remained unbeaten and capped off their dominant season with a five-point win over the Waverley Falcons on Saturday evening.

The Falcons gave it their all, but Bendigo was once again too good, building a consistent margin over the course of the game and holding off a Waverley push in the dying stages.

Experienced gun Amy Atwell led all scorers with 36 points on 12/22 shooting from the field. She was a dominant force that kept Bendigo’s score ticking over enough to secure the win. For the Falcons, Maddi Utti tried her best to get her side to a winning score, finishing the game with 31 points (12/18 FG).

West

The Geraldton Buccaneers claimed the Men’s championship for 2023, downing the Joondalup Wolves by six points in a thriller on Saturday night. With the ladder-leading Rockingham Flames not making the decider, the title was wide open coming in, and the unpredictability of the finals looked to be as present as ever with the lower-ranked Wolves holding an eight-point lead at the final change. However, a 28-14 final quarter from the Buccaneers proved the difference in the end, delivering a barnstorming finish to overrun Joondalup.

Jonny Narkle got it done on both ends for the victors, delivering a strong statline of 22 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and four steals, while Liam Hunt had a crucial role to play off the bench to finish with 19 points and nine rebounds. Quintin Dove performed valiantly in defeat with a game-high 34 points (13/25 FG).

Meanwhile, the Cockburn Cougars delivered an excellent team performance to snag a seven-point win over the Willetton Tigers in the big dance. After a low-scoring start to the game, the Tigers got going in the second quarter, before the Cougars rallied in the second half to storm home and take the match-winning lead in the fourth and never look back.

Fresh off signing her first WNBL contract, Stephanie Gorman top-scored with 19 points, but it was a shared effort from Cockburn. All five starters produced 10-plus points as the victors did not rely on one individual on the offensive end. Alex Sharp was Willetton’s best with 21 points and nine rebounds.

Central

In the Men’s competition, the West Adelaide Bearcats reigned supreme to take down the Forrestville Eagles to the tune of 11 points at 36ers Arena on the weekend. A 41-21 second quarter from the Eagles was the difference as Forestville held on in the final term to take home the trophy.

Lachlan Olbrich was the star of the show for the Bearcats, dominating on a number of fronts for a massive statline of 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. He had help from Nikolas DeSantis (20 points, nine rebounds) and Mitch McCarron (18 points, six rebounds, 11 assists), while Jake Rios had 23 points for the Eagles.

The Norwood Flames upset the previously-unbeaten Sturt Sabres when it mattered most, getting it done in the decider en route to a 15-point triumph in the Women’s grand final. The Sabres were stunned when the Flames took over the match in the second and third quarters, heading into the last with a 16-point lead, which proved too much for the minor champions.

Star Alex Wilson led from the front with 23 points, 16 rebounds and six assists in a typically dominant performer from the go-to player for the Flames, while Sharna Thompson did a bit of everything with 19 points, five rebounds and five assists. Unanimous MVP Mikayla Williams did everything she could for the Sabres, posting 21 points and 15 rebounds.

East

Another thriller took place in the Men’s competition, with the Sutherland Sharks holding on for a three-point victory over the Maitland Mustangs in the big dance for the Men’s competition. Despite trailing by nine points at the final change, the Mustangs gave it everything they had in the fourth, drawing within a point in the dying stages. However, the Sharks stuck together in the clutch, and snagged an 83-80 win.

William Cranston-Lown was the best for Sutherland, ending the contest with 19 points and eight assists on 5/14 shooting from the field, while teammate James Hunter top scored with 20 points. Lochlan Hutchison was Maitland’s best with 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

The Norths Bears claimed the biggest win of the weekend in the Women’s grand final, besting the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles by 15 points at Sydney Uni Sports & Aquatics Centre. The damage was done in the first half, as the Bears proved too much for the Sea Eagles to handle on the defensive end, and although Manly Warringah improved in the final two quarters, it was already over by this stage.

Jolene Anderson was the standout for the winning side, shooting 8/19 en route to a team-high 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists in her most important performance of the season, while Kimberly Hodge had 21 points and seven boards for the Sea Eagles.