Sowah's 35 points leads Caps to first victory

• Sowah explodes for 35 points as Brisbane claims 97-85 victory over Cairns
• Nicole Fransson dominates with astounding 45-point, 17-rebound performance in Southern Districts' win
• Unique Thompson records 20-point, 20-rebound double-double to power Mackay's rout of Sunshine Coast

Brisbane @ Cairns

The Brisbane Capitals secured a solid 97-85 victory against the Cairns Dolphins at Trinity Ford Stadium.

Miela Sowah delivered an outstanding performance with 35 points, six rebounds and five assists, shooting efficiently from beyond the arc at 50 percent. For Cairns, Mia Loyd contributed 31 points and nine rebounds while Cayla George added 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

Brisbane's bench provided significant production with 24 points, including 14 from Tyla Stolberg who shot a stellar 6-from-8 from the field. The Capitals controlled the glass with a 43-34 rebounding advantage, including 15 offensive boards that led to 12 second-chance points.

Despite nine lead changes, Brisbane maintained control for over 35 minutes of game time, establishing a 15-point lead at their peak while demonstrating superior ball movement with a 1.25 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Logan @ Gold Coast

The Logan Thunder dominated the Gold Coast Rollers 87-66 at Carrara Stadium as Leah Scott starred for the visitors with 20 points and nine rebounds on efficient 62.5 percent shooting.

Mikhaela Cann recorded a double-double with 10 points, eight rebounds and an impressive 14 assists. Katie Deeble led Gold Coast with 23 points and six rebounds in defeat.

Logan's balanced attack featured five players scoring in double figures, including Prasayus Notoa (17 points with five three-pointers) and Sharni Reisinger (12 points with four triples). The Thunder's superior shooting was evident as they connected on 13-of-36 from three-point range compared to Gold Coast's 10-of-35 effort.

After a competitive first quarter featuring 12 lead changes, Logan seized control and maintained it for nearly 33 minutes of game time, building their lead to as many as 25 points while forcing 16 Rollers turnovers.

SW Metro @ Ipswich

The Ipswich Force edged out SW Metro Pirates 78-67 at JBS Stadium with Elissa Brett securing a double-double of 23 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and four steals, while Kahlaijah Dean added 21 points and eight rebounds.

For SW Metro, Beyonce Bea recorded a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds on impressive 75 percent shooting.

In a tightly contested match featuring 23 lead changes and seven ties, Ipswich's defence proved decisive, forcing 18 turnovers that translated into 16 points. The Force dominated the boards with a 46-40 rebounding advantage, including 15 offensive rebounds.

Despite solid interior scoring from the Pirates, who outscored Ipswich 32-30 in the paint, Brett's five three-pointers helped the Force pull away in the fourth quarter. Natasha Elliott contributed 12 points and seven rebounds for Ipswich, shooting an efficient 6-from-10 from the field.

Northside @ Southern Districts

Southern Districts Spartans overpowered the Northside Wizards 91-75 at Rowland Cowan Stadium behind Nicole Fransson's incredible 45-point, 17-rebound performance.

Fransson shot a remarkable 20-of-29 from the field, dominating the interior with 40 of her points coming in the paint. Jessica McDowell-White added a double-double with eight points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and five steals.

The Spartans dominated the glass with a commanding 60-41 rebounding advantage, including 25 offensive boards that led to 12 second-chance points. Their interior dominance resulted in 68 points in the paint compared to just 32 for Northside.

Courtney Woods led the Wizards with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Nadeen Payne added 17 points. Despite Northside hitting nine three-pointers to Southern Districts' three, the Spartans' superior ball control (14 turnovers to 24) and defensive pressure (17 steals) proved decisive in building their lead to as many as 22 points.

Mackay @ Sunshine Coast

The Mackay Meteorettes overwhelmed the Sunshine Coast Phoenix 101-69 at Maroochydore Stadium behind Unique Thompson's dominant double-double with 20 points and 20 rebounds (10 offensive).

Mackay's Amari Robinson contributed 19 points, six rebounds and four assists. Emme Shearer added 18 points on efficient shooting.

Mackay's defence suffocated Sunshine Coast, forcing 24 turnovers that led to 26 points while limiting the Phoenix to just 2-of-16 from three-point range. The Meteorettes dominated the glass with a 56-41 rebounding advantage, including 24 offensive rebounds that resulted in 22 second-chance points.

Erin Bollmann led Sunshine Coast with 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Shannon Ryan recorded a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Mackay's balanced attack featured six players scoring in double figures as they built their lead to as many as 32 points.

Brisbane @ Townsville

Townsville secured a hard-fought 76-67 victory against Brisbane at Townsville StarFM Stadium, led by Samantha Bowman's dominant double-double performance.

Bowman was unstoppable with 34 points and 17 rebounds, shooting an efficient 59.1% from the field while adding four assists and three steals. Tayla Dalton contributed 20 points and 4 assists, while Chailee Ward added 13 points, including 3-from-5 from three-point range.

Brisbane fought valiantly behind Miela Goodchild's outstanding 27-point effort, which included six steals and five assists. Grace Ellis added 12 points and eight rebounds for the visitors, but Brisbane struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 25% (8-from-32) compared to Townsville's dominance inside, where they outscored Brisbane 42-30 in the paint.

Townsville's rebounding advantage (52-36) proved decisive in the contest, with Bowman's eight offensive rebounds helping generate crucial second-chance opportunities. The win gives Townsville momentum heading into their next match against Logan in Round 4.