Clutch Courtney fires Townsville into semi-finals

• Courtney Woods scored 42 of Townsville's 85 points in a two-point win
• Shaun Bruce posted 35 points and 13 assists as Logan won by 23
• Sunshine Coast and Northside both rallied late and both fell short

WNBL26 Grand Final MVP Courtney Woods has come up big again with it all to play for. She scored 42 of Townsville's 85 points to keep her side alive in the NBL1 North finals, the standout performance of a qualifying finals round in which two of the four losing teams went down swinging.

Four qualifying finals were played on July 24 and July 25, 2026, two in the women's competition and two in the men's. Three of the four winners had to hold off a late charge. The one that did not, Logan, won by 23.

NBL1 NORTH WOMEN

Townsville Flames 85-83 Southern Districts

Qualifying Final 1, Carmichael Ford Stadium.

Townsville won a two-point game at Carmichael Ford Stadium on July 24, 2026 while shooting 40.9% from the field against Southern Districts' 50.7%.

Woods was the reason. She played 34:29 and scored 42 points on 15-of-24 shooting, 10-of-16 inside the arc, 5-of-8 from three and 7-of-7 at the line, adding 9 rebounds and 5 assists for an efficiency rating of 45.

Ella Tofaeono was the other double-figure contributor of note with 15 points on 6-of-9 and 10 rebounds. Chailee Ward and Mia Murray scored 13 apiece, Murray going 5-of-5 at the line.

The margin came from the parts of the game that do not need a made shot. Townsville pulled 16 offensive rebounds and went 16-of-19 from the free-throw line. Southern Districts attempted six free throws all game.

Southern Districts led 34-32 at half time before Townsville won the third quarter 33-25. Mikayla Cowling top-scored for the visitors with 23, Hayley McDowell-White added 20 and captain Jessica McDowell-White had 17 points and 7 assists. Southern Districts finished with 21 assists to Townsville's 13.

Mackay Meteorettes 94-87 Northside

Qualifying Final 2, Mackay Basketball Stadium.

Mackay built a 22-point half-time lead at Mackay Basketball Stadium on July 25, 2026 and needed most of it.

Monique Bobongie led the home side with 25 points and 7-of-8 from the line. Sammie Puisis added 17, River Baldwin had 16 points and 13 rebounds, and captain Chelsea Brook contributed 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Mackay went 20-of-26 at the free-throw line and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds.

Northside were much the better side after the main break. Trailing 49-27, they won the third quarter 27-24 and the fourth 33-21, closing to within seven at the buzzer.

Nes'eya Parker-Williams was outstanding in defeat with 26 points and 11 rebounds, and captain Alice O'Driscoll scored 18 on 8-of-10 shooting with 3 blocks. Kelsey Ransom added 15 points and 8 assists, Grace Ellis 14 points and 9 rebounds.

NBL1 NORTH MEN

Ipswich Force 86-81 Sunshine Coast

Qualifying Final 1, Maroochydore Stadium.

Ipswich led by 21 points after three quarters at Maroochydore Stadium on July 25, 2026 and won by five.

Sunshine Coast won the final quarter 30-14. They ran out of clock, not momentum.

Lachlan Anderson played all 40 minutes for Ipswich and scored 26 points with 4-of-13 from three. Lamar Patterson added 23 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists, Merrick Small 17 points and 9 rebounds on 7-of-11, and captain Jason Ralph had 11 points and 7 assists on 4-of-5 shooting.

Nelson Kahler led Sunshine Coast with 15 points and 13 rebounds, six of them offensive. Luke Anderson scored 16, Earnest Ross 14 and Deshawn Ross-Paiwan 13. Darnell Robateau finished one assist short of a triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists.

Sunshine Coast out-rebounded Ipswich 51-42 but shot 21.4% from three.

Logan Thunder 108-85 Mackay Meteors

Qualifying Final 2, Bendigo Bank Cornubia Park Sports Centre.

The one comfortable win of the round, and it was built on passing. Logan recorded 29 assists on 37 made field goals at Bendigo Bank Cornubia Park Sports Centre on July 25, 2026.

Captain Shaun Bruce had 13 of those assists to go with 35 points on 13-of-18 shooting, including 6-of-9 from three, for an efficiency rating of 44. Hunter Marks scored 24 and went 12-of-13 from the free-throw line. Zac Triplett added 12 points and 8 rebounds, and Tyrone Fui and Callum Dalton scored 10 each.

Logan shot 56.1% from the field and led at every break, opening a 28-11 first quarter.

Khobie De Haan top-scored for Mackay with 22 off the bench on 4-of-7 from three. Derek Emelifeonwu had 13 points and 7 assists, Jalen Johnson scored 11 in 12 minutes and captain Jerron Jamerson had 10 points and 6 assists.

Why it's important

Three of these four games turned on a team's ability to stop scoring being the whole story. Townsville shot 10 percentage points worse than Southern Districts and won, on 16 offensive rebounds and a 19-to-6 advantage in free-throw attempts. Mackay's women were out-scored by 15 across the second half and survived on the buffer they had built by half time. Ipswich conceded a 30-14 final quarter and survived on the same principle.

Logan were the exception, and the manner of it is the warning to the rest: 29 assists, 56.1% shooting and a 23-point margin.

What's Next

All four semi-finals are on Saturday, August 1, 2026, all times AEST.

• Logan Thunder v Mackay Meteorettes, women, 5:00pm, Bendigo Bank Cornubia Park Sports Centre
• Cairns Dolphins v Townsville Flames, women, 6:00pm, Trinity Ford Stadium
• Gold Coast Rollers v Logan Thunder, men, 7:00pm, Carrara Indoor Sports Stadium
• Cairns Marlins v Ipswich Force, men, 8:00pm, Trinity Ford Stadium

All four qualifying final winners advance. Cairns Dolphins, Cairns Marlins and Gold Coast Rollers enter the finals series at the semi-final stage.

Key Takeaways

1. Woods carried a finals game almost by herself. Forty-two of her team's 85 points, on 62.5% shooting from the field and 7-of-7 at the line. No other Townsville player reached 16. She now faces Cairns Dolphins in the semi-final.
2. Logan look the most complete team in the competition. 29 assists on 37 made field goals is a passing return that does not happen by accident, and Shaun Bruce had 13 of them alongside 35 points. Gold Coast Rollers are next.
3. Two comebacks fell short and both are worth remembering. Sunshine Coast won a final quarter 30-14 and lost by five. Northside won theirs 33-21 and lost by seven. Neither side goes on, but neither was beaten by as much as the scoreboard suggested.
4. Free throws decided the closest game. Townsville attempted 19 to Southern Districts' six and won by two. In a two-point game, that is the margin.