NBL1 Wrap (April 22, 2024)

Recently crowned NBL champion Anthony Drmic returned to NBL1 Central action with a bang over the weekend, and dropped a 47-point double-double in West Adelaide’s overtime victory over the Southern Tigers.

The clash was Drmic’s first of the season since his crucial role in the Tasmania JackJumpers’ NBL title triumph, and also added 18 rebounds in the victory. 

He formed a lethal one-two backcourt punch with former Townsville and Cairns guard Mirko Djeric, who added 34 points of his own in the victory.

Drmic was far from the only NBL talent to shine in an overtime victory this past weekend. South East Melbourne’s Matt Kenyon added 22 points and 21 rebounds for North Gold Coast in the Seahawks’ win over Townsville.

A dominant overtime period saw Kenyon’s Seahawks run out with a comfortable 12-point win. Illawarra’s Harry Morris top scored for the Heat with 22 points.

Kenyon then added 14 points and 14 rebounds against Cairns. Phoenix teammate Kody Stattmann starred for the Marlins in the 18-point win, with 31 points and eight rebounds.

Sydney pair Makuach Maluach and Kouat Noi torched the Logan Thunder and Sydney teammate Shaun Bruce for the Darwin Salties.

Maluach added a 30-point double-double, while Noi registered 29 points in the eight-point win.

Bruce added 15 points and 10 assists against his Kings teammates, but the Thunder’s offensive punch was led by former Melbourne United pair Zac Triplett and Callum Dalton, who scored 28 and 27 points respectively. Dalton also pulled down 14 boards.

William Hickey continued his dominance of the NBL1 East, and finished Albury-Wodonga’s double-header averaging a triple-double over a pair of hard-fought wins.

First, Hickey added 18 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists in an 11-point win that featured his FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup winning teammate James O’Donnell, Boomers capped talents Kye Savage and Josh Dent, and mooted potential Next Star prospect Ajak Nyuon.

Hickey then registered 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in a seven-point win over Norths Bears.

Recently announced Tasmania signing Gorjok Gak continued his strong form for Rockingham alongside former South East Melbourne and Brisbane import Devondrick Walker, however Gak’s 26 points and 10 rebounds weren’t enough to power the Flames to their sixth straight win to start the season.

David Okwera and Sunday Dech continued their team-up with the East Perth Eagles, and both fired in their side’s 27-point win over Perry Lakes.

While Dech impressed with 18 points in the win, Okwera showcased his effectiveness as an interior presence with 14 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

DJ Vasiljevic’s Waverley Falcons suffered a heartbreaking final second loss to the Melbourne Tigers in NBL1 South.

Vasiljevic added 17 points in the defeat, while 36ers teammate Fraser Roxburgh scored 11. The 94-93 defeat was determined by a final second tip-in from Melbourne's Callum Barker.

Jason Cadee (Gold Coast) – 22PTS, 6REB, 7AST vs SW Metro
Nick Marshall (Mt Gambier) – 21PTS, 6REB, 6AST vs NW Tasmania
Akech Aliir (Mt Gambier) – 30PTS, 7REB, 1BLK vs NW Tasmania
DJ Vasiljevic (Waverley) – 17PTS, 4REB, 4AST vs Melbourne
Fraser Roxburgh (Waverley) – 11PTS, 3REB vs Melbourne
Sunday Dech (East Perth) – 18PTS, 7REB, 6AST vs Perry Lakes
Jacob Rigoni (Sturt) – 27PTS, 7REB, 5AST vs Central Districts
Alex Starling (South Adelaide) – 18PTS, 12REB, 1STL vs Woodville

Isaac White (Mackay) – 19PTS, 5REB, 5AST vs Brisbane
Matthew Johns (Brisbane) – 10PTS, 2REB, 2AST vs Mackay | 3PTS, 6REB, 3AST vs Rockhampton
Sam McDaniel (Brisbane) – 15PTS, 5REB, 2AST vs Mackay | 23PTS, 8REB, 4STL vs Rockhampton
Gabe Hadley (Brisbane) – 11PTS, 2REB, 3AST vs Mackay | 14PTS, 6REB, 2STL vs Rockhampton
Tyrell Harrison (Southern Districts) – 19PTS, 12REB, 3BLK vs Ipswich
DJ Mitchell (Ipswich) – 21PTS, 5REB, 1AST vs Southern District

Kian Dennis (Cairns) – 9PTS, 7REB, 2STL vs North Gold Coast
Alex Mudronja (Cairns) – 17PTS, 2REB, 5AST vs North Gold Coast
AK Gak (West Adelaide) – 5PTS, 8REB, 1BLK vs Southern

Harry Morris (Townsville) – 22PTS, 6REB, 2AST vs North Gold Coast
Todd Blanchfield (Mackay) – 21PTS, 7REB, 1BLK vs Brisbane
Luca Yates (Mackay) – 10PTS, 10REB, 1AST vs Brisbane
Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (Darwin) – 10PTS, 9REB, 3AST vs Logan
William Hickey (Albury-Wodonga) – 18PTS, 14REB, 13AST vs COE | 26PTS, 11REB, 8AST vs Norths
Biwali Bayles (Sydney) – 17PTS, 9REB, 3AST vs Inner West | 18PTS, 8REB, 2STL vs Newcastle
Mason Peatling (Dandenong) – 14PTS, 9REB, 2AST vs Knox
Kyle Adnam (Kilsyth) – 12PTS, 2REB, 2AST vs Eltham

Kyle Bowen (Knox) – 10PTS, 6REB, 3STL vs Dandenong
Campbell Blogg (Sandringham) – 11PTS, 2REB, 3AST vs Diamond Valley
Tanner Krebs (Sandringham) – 25PTS, 10REB, 2AST vs Diamond Valley
Tom Koppens (Sandringham) – 21PTS, 11REB, 2AST vs Diamond Valley
Shea Ili (Sandringham) – 14PTS, 6AST, 4STL vs Diamond Valley

Michael Harris (Warwick) – 28PTS, 7REB, 6AST vs Eastern | 26PTS, 8REB, 3AST vs Willeton
David Okwera (East Perth) – 14PTS, 10REB, 4BLK vs Perry Lakes

Matt Kenyon (North Gold Coast) – 22PTS, 21REBS, 4STL vs Townsville | 14PTS, 14REB, 4AST vs Cairns
Kody Stattmann (Cairns) – 31PTS, 8REB, 2BLK vs North Gold Coast
Nathan Sobey (Ipswich) – 20PTS, 2AST, 2STL vs Southern Districts
Luke Rosendale (Ballarat) – 5PTS, 10REB, 5AST vs Ringwood
Austin Rapp (Knox) – 3PTS, 2REB, 1AST vs Dandenong
Angus Glover (Eltham) – 23PTS, 10REB, 3AST vs Kilsyth
Owen Foxwell (Eltham) – 18PTS, 4REB, 8AST vs Kilysth

Makuach Maluach (Darwin) – 30PTS, 10REB, 6AST vs Logan
Kouat Noi (Darwin) – 29PTS, 3REB, 2AST vs Logan
Shaun Bruce (Logan) – 15PTS, 5REB, 10AST vs Darwin
Klairus Amir (Sutherland) – 12PTS, 6REB, 1AST vs Maitland

Lachlan Barker (Frankston) – 18PTS, 3REB, 2AST vs Geelong
Majok Majok (Ballarat) – 16PTS, 6REB, 2BLK vs Ringwood
Jacob Richards (Hobart) – 20PTS, 7REB, 4AST vs Nunawading | 24PTS, 8REB, 2STL
Gorjok Gak (Rockingham) – 26PTS, 10REB, 2STL vs Willeton
Anthony Drmic (West Adelaide) – 47PTS, 18REB, 6AST vs Southern