THE NBL1 action resumed over the weekend, and in the North Men’s competition, it was USC Rip City that rallied behind a strong offensive showing from Brandon Wood to defeat the Southern Districts Spartans on the weekend.

The game took place at USC Sports Stadium on Saturday night, and it was shaping as an even matchup coming in. The Spartans had played a few more games, and sat with a record of five wins and five losses after 10 outings, but were in danger of dropping away from the contending pack. On the other hand, Rip City were also floating around a similar winning percentage, with three wins coming from seven games.

The match ended up being a thrilling affair, with both sides throwing haymakers over the course of the game. It was a close contest across all four quarters, and the evenness of the game was perfectly demonstrated when it required overtime to be decided. In the end, USC utilised its home court advantage in the extra period and walked away with a 13-point win.

Wood was the offensive leader for the victors, delivering several clutch buckets and proving a match-winning factor.

USC Rip City (104) def. Southern Districts Spartans (91)

Brandon Wood – 32 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals

Wood stood up when it counted for Rip City, putting the team on his back at times on the offensive end. He was an exceptional performer in a must-win game for his side.

No player from either side was able to top his 32 points, with Wood being given responsibility on the offensive end and punishing the defence for collapsing on Kouat Noi for much of the time. Although the Spartans were somewhat effective in slowing down the latter (Noi had 23 points on 6/21 shooting), Wood was able to get off the chain.

He drained two-thirds of his shots from the field, nailing 12 baskets on just 18 attempts. Wood was relentless in his attack inside, with nine of his made shots coming from two-point territory. With the defence looking to thwart any dish-offs to Noi, he was able to punish the defence with strong finishing in the lane.

The 34-year-old showed a strong amount of range from behind the arc as well, splashing home three triples on just our attempts in an impressive display of accuracy.

The explosive guard also poured in a crucial eight points in overtime on his own, which is only three less than the entire opposition team. He drained some clutch free throws down the stretch to seal the game and capped off an impressive individual performance.

It was an emphatic offensive showing from the veteran guard, who helped his side stay in the hunt for a finals spot with a clutch showing in extra time.