By Jonathon Lacey
Another sold out crowd packed Rockhampton’s Bravus Arena on Friday, 9 June as the CQUniversity Cyclones and Schwartz Excavations Rockets hosted the visiting Ipswich Force in Round 11 of the Coles Express NBL-1 North competition. As the season reaches a critical point and teams begin to look towards the post-season, the Cyclones desperately needed to recover and regain some momentum following two straight losses. Meanwhile the Rockets turbulent season has given them no shot at a spot in the finals, however the remainder of the season provides them with a fantastic opportunity to focus on development for the 2024 season.
The Cyclones were locked in and ready for the Force as they raced out to a solid 27-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Cyclones were certainly switched on defensively and the strong play continued through until half-time with the Cyclones holding a 43-22 lead.
If the Force were going to make a comeback, they would need to turn it around and make defensive adjustments in the third quarter, however the Cyclones were determined to extend their lead as they outscored the Force 18-8 in the quarter to give them a dominant 61-30 lead heading into the final quarter. The 31-point lead would prove too much to overcome as the Cyclones cruised to a 76-56 victory over the Force.
Samantha Bowman was the star of the show for the Cyclones with a huge performance including 25 points, 19 rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Lara McSpadden had a great outing with 15 points, 13 rebounds and three steals while Lauren Heard managed 19 points, six rebounds, nine assists and three steals. For the Force Maria Blazejewski had a decent outing with 15 points, eight rebounds and three steals while Georgia Ralph sparked offense from the bench with 14 points.
In a difficult season mixed with tough losses and roster changes, the Rockets continued to play hard as they started strong against the Force, answering shots with plays of their own and matching the effort defensively to give them the early lead of 26-22 at the end of the first quarter. The Force responded well in the second quarter with both teams exchanging the lead multiple times, however the Force would take the 45-43 half-time lead.
Third quarter struggles have been a consistent theme for the 2023 Rockets as the Force dominated the Rockets with a huge 30-13 quarter, giving them a commanding 75-56 lead heading into the final quarter of play. A small rally from the Rockets wouldn’t be enough as the Force comfortably earned the 100-85 win over the home side.
The Rockets’ Malcolm Bernard had a terrific outing with 29 points and six assists while Damian Prgomet secured a double-double with 22 points and 15 rebounds. The Force displayed impressive depth with six players scoring more than 10 points, however it was Nathan Sobey who led the charge with 27 points and seven assists while Jaylin Galloway managed 16 points, seven rebounds and three steals.
With just five rounds of the competition remaining, the Cyclones remain in contention for a spot in the finals as the Round 11 win kept them in the sixth spot on the ladder with a 7-4 record. Meanwhile the Rockets struggles have dropped them to just 1-10 for the season. Round 12 of the competition will be the biggest challenge of the season for the Cyclones and Rockets as they face a tough triple-header on the road in Brisbane with three games in three days. The road-trip will feature matches on Friday, 16 June against the Northside Wizards and Saturday, 17 June against the Brisbane Capitals before finishing on Sunday, 18 June against the Southern District Spartans. The Cyclones and Rockets will play at home at Bravus Arena in Round 13 on Saturday, 24 June.