BASKETBALL action up north returned over the weekend, as the NBL1 North competition held Round 2 of the 2024 season.

With the first week of play under their belt, teams across the Men’s and Women’s division looked much more settled in the second round, with some big scores on the board in tense affairs.

The quality of players in the NBL1 continues to grow, with the North competition hosting some of the best in the country, and the big names were firing across the latest round.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central has selected the standout player from both the men’s and women’s competitions over the weekend, and this week, it is Makuach Maluach and Miela Goodchild.

Makuach Maluach (Darwin Salties) vs. Logan Thunder

30 points, 10 rebounds, six assists

It was a stat-stuffing performance from Maluach, who did a bit of everything in Darwin’s matchup against the Thunder over the weekend.

The Salties emerged victorious by eight points in a high-scoring affair in Round 2, holding off a brave road performance from the Thunder to claim a 101-93 triumph.

Maluach was a massive part in the result, not only top scoring for the match, but impacting the game in several important ways. He shot 11/21 from the field, knocking down five triples to help boost his total.

On the boards, Maluach was relentless in his pursuit for the loose ball, and generated second chance scores with five offensive rebounds.

Lastly, he ensured to share the ball around whenever he copped some unwanted defensive attention, finding the open man with six dimes, capping off an excellent individual showing that was truly impactful.

Miela Goodchild (North Gold Coast Seahawks)

vs. Townsville Flames – 34 points, nine rebounds
vs. Cairns Dolphins – 40 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, six steals

It was an outrageously dominant weekend from Goodchild, who was far and away the best performer in either division throughout Round 2 of the 2024 season.

She kicked things off with 34 points and nine boards in the tough loss against the Flames. In that match, she shot 13/19 and accounted for nearly half of her team’s score in a one-woman show performance to nearly drag North Gold Coast over the line.

Remarkably, she topped that performance in every way a couple of days later, delivering a whopping double-double of 40 points and 10 rebounds along with six steals and three dimes.

She took more shots from the field and knocked down six triples to make her offensive game even more balanced and tougher to defend. She was also impressive on both sides of the ball, recording six steals as the Seahawks blew out the Dolphins to cap off the most dominant round of any player.