Golden Coast: Rollers' crazy run to NBL1 national title

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• Rolling Results: Day 1 and 2 of the NBL1 National Finals men's competition
• Missing in action: Top stars missing out on NBL1 National Finals

The Gold Coast Rollers have completed one of the most improbable runs to an NBL1 National Championship after taking down star-studded home side the Forestville Eagles 70-63 in an overtime championship game thriller to win the title.

Playing with just seven players for the tournament and missing three NBL players, including Jensen Bradtke as well as Preston LeGassick and Jimmy Whitt, the Rollers could not be denied against an Eagles side full of former national league talents.

The trio of Brodie McGregor, Boston Mazlin and Ashley McGrath proved too much for the Eagles in the end, combining for 56 points while their teammates played their role to perfection as the Rollers became the first NBL1 North team to win a national championship in the five years of the event.

Former NBL big man Daniel Johnson looked to have given the Eagles all the momentum after a tough and-one finish to give Forestville the lead with just two minutes remaining but the Rollers answered back, like they had all game, to tie the game up with a fastbreak layup to McGrath.

Neither could land the final blow in the closing 90 seconds but McGrath had an open three with just seconds left which rimmed out to send the game to overtime.

McGrath, who's just a teenager, hit several crucial baskets in the extra period - including a three and a turnaround fadeaway jumpshot - to keep the Rollers in the lead following two tough baskets from Forestville's Alex Starling.

Eagles point guard Adam Doyle missed a contested layup in the dying stages before Mazlin connected on two clutch free-throws to hand Gold Coast the national title.

"Feels really good, I'm just super proud of our community back on the Gold Coast, it's always about the people in community sport," Rollers coach Anthony Petrie said.

"Great people, great people do great things for each other.

"I know I say it all the time, everyone will laugh talking about Tenterfield, but I grew up in a community where people do things for other people... honestly I've had my time but I'm just happy I can give back in a little way that people can experience the things I was lucky enough to experience."

McGregor, who recently signed a two-year development player deal with the Illawarra Hawks, said sticking together through adversity was what his team does.

"We're really tight, a lot of us have grown up playing together... we're together as a group always," McGregor said post game.

MATCH REPORT

Gold Coast outlasted Forestville 70–67 in overtime to claim the Championship at the State Basketball Centre in Wayville with Ashley McGrath's 21-point, nine-rebound, five-assist performance headlining a balanced Gold Coast effort that survived Greg Mays' double-double for Forestville.

Game Snapshot

• Quarter scores: Forestville 17–18, 22–21, 14–10, 10–14, OT 4–7
• Final: Gold Coast 70, Forestville 67
• Gold Coast assists: 21 │ Forestville assists: 12
• Gold Coast free-throw shooting: 13-of-16 (81.25%)

Even opening exchanges

The two sides traded blows through the opening term, with Forestville leaning on Mays inside while Gold Coast countered through the perimeter creation of Boston Mazlin and Brodie McGregor. Gold Coast edged the quarter 18–17, setting the tone for a contest that would remain within touching distance for 45 minutes.

Forestville flipped the script in the second, outscoring Gold Coast 22–21 behind Mays' interior dominance and a lift from James Mackenzie off the bench, who finished with 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting.

Forestville's third-quarter grip

Forestville produced their most disciplined stretch after the main break, holding Gold Coast to just 10 points in the third quarter while stretching their advantage through Mays and Alexander Starling. The pair combined for interior scoring and rebounding as Forestville leveraged their size, finishing the game with 55 total boards to Gold Coast's 50.

Mays was relentless throughout, closing with 21 points and 12 rebounds on 9-of-14 shooting, while Daniel Johnson chipped in 12 rebounds and four assists despite going 2-of-11 from the field.

Gold Coast's fourth-quarter response

Trailing entering the final term, Gold Coast leaned on McGrath and McGregor to swing the momentum. McGregor delivered 18 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, going a perfect 7-of-8 from the free-throw line — a critical contribution given Gold Coast's 81.25% clip from the stripe compared to Forestville's 60%.

Mazlin's playmaking kept the offence ticking, the guard finishing with 17 points, seven assists and a perfect 3-of-3 inside the arc. Gold Coast's 14–10 fourth-quarter edge forced overtime and shifted the psychological weight of the contest.

Overtime execution seals the title

In the extra period, Gold Coast outscored Forestville 7–4 to close out the championship. Ball movement was the defining trait — Gold Coast finished with 21 assists on 25 made field goals, nearly doubling Forestville's 12-assist total.

Cooper Urquhart's all-round line of nine points, 10 rebounds and three assists provided the interior balance, while Riley Oberman added three points, two blocks and a steal in nearly 30 minutes of impactful minutes off the bench.

Shooting splits tell the story

Despite Forestville's rebounding edge and superior two-point efficiency (48.15% to Gold Coast's 50% on fewer attempts), it was long-range shooting that ultimately separated the sides. Gold Coast connected on seven three-pointers at 18.42%, while Forestville managed just 3-of-28 from beyond the arc for 10.71%.

Fiston Ipassou added 12 points and six rebounds for Forestville, and Starling contributed 10 points and eight boards, but the visitors' inability to convert from distance proved decisive when possessions tightened in overtime.

By the Numbers

• Ashley McGrath (GC): 21 pts │ 9 reb │ 5 ast │ 3-of-3 FT
• Brodie McGregor (GC): 18 pts │ 11 reb │ 5 ast │ 7-of-8 FT
• Boston Mazlin (GC): 17 pts │ 5 reb │ 7 ast │ 3-of-3 2PT
• Cooper Urquhart (GC): 9 pts │ 10 reb │ 3 ast
• Greg Mays (FOR): 21 pts │ 12 reb │ 9-of-14 FG
• Daniel Johnson (FOR): 5 pts │ 12 reb │ 4 ast
• Fiston Ipassou (FOR): 12 pts │ 6 reb
• Alexander Starling (FOR): 10 pts │ 8 reb
• James Mackenzie (FOR): 11 pts │ 5-of-11 FG