REDCity Roar have locked up top spot with a round to go, winning in the last match of Round 9 for the Queensland State League (QSL) Men’s season. They sit two wins clear of the rest of the field, with the top three all but settled after Ipswich Force joined Southern District Spartans and Brisbane Capitals in the top four.

Sunshine Coast Phoenix Teal (92) defeated Northside Wizards (60)

In a huge Friday night clash, Sunshine Coast Phoenix Teal accounted for Northside Wizards easily, racking up a 32-point win. The home side sank 12 triples to three, and shot at 38.7 per cent from long range to their opponents’ 15 per cent. They also easily won the rebounds (49-33), assists (27-10) and second chance points (19-8) in a strong performance. Jamaal Robateau continued his great form in season 2020 with 15 points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals, supported well by Bede Hooper (15 points, three rebounds and two steals). Also getting amongst the points were Phoenix Teal’s Josh Walters (12 points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals) and Nelson Kahler (12 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks). For the Wizards, it was Cameron Thew who dominated to try and keep his side in the hunt, putting up 18 points, 15 rebounders, four assists and two steals in a double-double effort, while Jacob Arthur tried hard for 14 points.

USC Rip City (66) defeated by Southern Districts Spartans (86)

Southern Districts Spartans guaranteed themselves a top four spot with a crucial 20-point victory on the road against USC Rip City. The Spartans misfired from beyond the arc (13.6 per cent accuracy) which kept their opponents (25.8 per cent) in it, but they hardly missed a beat from inside it, shooting at 66 per cent. They also controlled the rebounds (46-31), assists (20-16), steals (8-4) and second chance points (20-7), whilst USC broke even in the blocks (2-2). Callum Dalton was the standout with a double-double of 22 points, 10 rebounds and three assists for the Spartans, while Tyrell Harrison put up 17 points, seven rebounds and two assists on the night. Also in double-figures were Josh Derksen (11 points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks) and Harrison Rouhliadeff (10 points, seven rebounds). For Rip City, it was Isaih Tueta who shot 19 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Tom Cordwell (15 points, two rebounds and two steals) and Louis Ilton (10 points, five rebounds) were both productive.

Brisbane Capitals (106) defeated Sunshine Coast Phoenix Teal (99)

In the opening match of the Saturday fixtures, Brisbane Capitals locked up another top four spot with a thrilling seven point win over Sunshine Coast Phoenix Teal. After a great win the night before, Sunshine Coast hoped to make it back-to-back victories to keep in touch with the top few teams, but just fell short in the game of the round. The Capitals had more assists (29-27), steals (15-8) and second chance points (13-8), but it was Phoenix Teal that proved deadly from long range, dropping half of their 28 attempts from outside the arc. The visitors also led the rebounds (44-37) and blocks (7-0) in a strong effort defensively. Jason Cadee (34 points, six rebounds, seven assists and five steals) was simply sensational for the winners, teaming up well with Jarred Bairstow (28 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and two steals) who came close to a triple-double. Anthony Kopcikas (15 points, three assists and three steals) was slick with the ball, while Ben Wilson (12 points, seven rebounds and six assists) was also clever across the court. For the losers, it was a good effort from Jonathan Janssen (25 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists) who also narrowly missed out on a triple-double, as Robateau filled out the stats sheet again with 24 points, four rebounds and three assists. Kahler picked up a double-double for his troubles, amassing 11 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in the match.

Logan Thunder (105) defeated Gold Coast Rollers (75)

Logan Thunder kept their finals hopes alive with a massive 30-point victory over fellow mid-table side Gold Coast Rollers, essentially eliminating the Rollers from finals contention in the process. The Thunder moved to 5-5 from their season thus far, and won the rebounds (50-46), assists (26-17), second chance points (19-11) and steals (11-4), but it was the Rollers’ turnover numbers that were the greatest concern, coughing the ball up 21 times to seven during the 105-75 loss. Five players reached double-figure points for the Thunder with Atem Bior picking up a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Also lively were Chris Cedar (18 points, four rebounds, five assists and three steals), Michael Cedar (15 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals), and Mitchell Young (17 points, five rebounds). For the Rollers, Jalen Patton Croker amassed 21 points, 11 rebounds and four assists on his way to a double-double, while Jaze Morris had 17 points, two rebounds and two assists. Not far off a double-double himself, Tom Howard had a productive 11 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Ipswich Force (118) defeated Northside Wizards (85)

Ipswich Force gave themselves best chance of a top four finish, picking up a big 33-point victory over Northside Wizards, the Wizards’ second of the weekend. The win helped the Force secure outright fourth with a game in hand as they eye off a big finish to the season next week. The Force dropped 16 triples to nine as both teams shot at greater than 40 per cent from outside the arc, while it was the Force’s ability to make the most of their inside opportunities, with a 57 to 44 per cent accuracy. They also won the assists (27-18), steals (21-15) and blocks (5-3), while the Wizards took control in the rebounds (46-41), but committed a whopping 31 turnovers to 18. Nathan Sobey stunned the spectators with a competition season-high 50 points as well as six rebounds, five assists and four steals. He teamed up well with Jesse Ghee (19 points, seven rebounds, 11 assists and five steals) and Kane Bishop (11 points, nine rebounds, two assists and three blocks). For the Wizards, Jacob Arthur had a team-high 17 points, as well as two rebounds and five assists, while Thew picked up his second double-double of the weekend courtesy of 11 points and 10 rebounds. Cameron Crispe was also busy with 15 points, two rebounds and three steals.

RedCity Roar (97) defeated North Gold Coast Seahawks (86)

Top of the table RedCity Roar notched up a tight 11-point win over North Gold Coast Seahawks to lock up top spot with a round to play. The Roar were not as clinical as they have been at times, but were more effective from two-point range, shooting at 57 percent to their opponents’ 35 per cent. The Seahawks had more rebounds 48-39) and second chance points (15-13), but the Roar dominated the steals (16-7) and blocks (3-0), whilst also having less turnovers (15-24). Darryl McDowell-White amassed 37 points, four rebounds and four steals for the Roar, while Verle Williams III had 23 points, four rebounds, five assists and four steals. Heath Gameren also provided an important role in the win thanks to 17 points, six rebounds, seven assists and six steals. For the Seahawks, Maika Shortland was the clear standout with 27 points, eight rebounds and three assists, while Donovan Russell (15 points, seven rebounds and four assists) and Jaleel Georgetown (11 points, five rebounds and two assists) also tried hard.

Picture: Fan Fair