ALTHOUGH the 2024 season started slightly later than other states, the National Basketball League (NBL)1 North competition is still delivering plenty of entertaining action.

Over the weekend, Round 3 took place around Queensland and the Northern Territory, and several matches went down to the wire. There were multiple clashes that were separated by a few points or less, in a perfect demonstration of how competitive the league has been to start the year.

Both the Men’s and Women’s competitions produced enthralling affairs in ANZAC Round, and there were certainly some familiar faces in ripping form.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be taking a look at the standout performances from both divisions, after some big numbers were posted over the weekend. This time, Lamar Patterson and Samantha Bowman proved to be the standouts with some astounding showings.

Lamar Patterson (South West Metro Pirates) vs. Ipswich Force

30 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, four steals

Patterson not only had the best performance of the game, but also delivered the match-winner in the win over the Force.

The Pirates took on the Force at Hibiscus Sports Stadium on Saturday night, and looked in control in front of the home crowd after taking a 12-point lead into the main change. However, Ipswich delivered an enormous comeback in the fourth, storming home to hold a two-point lead in the final 10 seconds.

With ball-in-hand, Patterson took the responsibility upon himself, launching a deep three-pointer that found the bottom of the net. With just seconds left, the Force could not answer, and South West Metro snuck away with the win.

Patterson was the game’s highest scorer with 30 points on 13/18 shooting from the field and 3/5 shooting from behind the arc. Although his most important basket came at the end, the forward was crucial throughout the match in getting the Pirates to victory.

His class came through on the glass and as a playmaker as well, making the right plays for his side whenever they needed a lift, and was a genuine game-winner.

Samantha Bowman (Rockhampton Cyclones) vs. Mackay Meteorettes

31 points, 18 rebounds, two assists

Bowman stuffed the stat sheet as the Cyclones delivered a massive 20-point win over the Meteorettes to make it three wins from three games to start the 2024 season.

The game took place at Mackay Basketball Stadium on Saturday night, with the result essentially decided by the time the main break arrived. Rockhampton led by a whopping 30 points at half time, and although the home side looked better in the fourth, it was too little, too late.

Bowman was exceptional for the victors, posting a game-high 31 points on 12/18 shooting from the field. Although a serious force in the paint, her ability to stretch the floor was tremendous, nailing three triples on four attempts.

Her rebounding was just as impressive, pulling down a whopping 18 boards and looking unmatched in her ability to get first hands on the ball. Seven of these were offensive, which fed into her ability to keep the Cyclones’ score ticking over.

It was a towering showing from Bowman, who was a central figure in the result of the match and has been pivotal in Rockhampton’s 3-0 start.