Norths Bears vs Rockingham Flames

Norths' depth told in the second quarter. After a competitive opening period, the Bears' bench unit extended the lead while Rockingham's starters — particularly Jones, who had expended significant energy in the loss to Canberra — showed signs of fatigue. Head coach Tom Garlepp rotated freely, and the Bears pushed the margin beyond 12 before half-time, forcing the Flames to chase for the remainder of the game.

Lachie Bofinger was instrumental on both ends, scoring efficiently around the rim and facilitating from the high post. The Bears' engine made sure Norths never lost rhythm even when Rockingham threatened to cut the deficit.

Lewis Holey backed up his 17-point Friday showing with another sharp-shooting display. His floor spacing — shooting 5/8 from three on Day 1 — stretched Rockingham's defence and opened driving lanes for his teammates.

Matthew Wacher provided veteran leadership and timely baskets, steadying the Bears whenever Rockingham looked to mount a run.

For Rockingham, Blake Jones followed his 45-point game against Canberra with another strong interior performance, though Norths' zone defence limited his support cast from finding consistent rhythm.

Norths Bears entered the tournament averaging 87.91 points per game during the regular season (NBL1 East) — the second-lowest scoring average in the six-team field. They exceeded that by eight points against a Rockingham defence that had allowed 110 in the opener. Rockingham, conversely, was held well below their season average of 103.96 PPG. The Flames shot 51% from the field during the regular season and averaged 11.4 made threes per game at 35.1%, but Norths' defensive game plan clearly disrupted those patterns.

Rockingham finish sixth in the six-team National Finals after dropping both games in Adelaide. The NBL1 West champions will return to Perth with a losing record at the tournament but can reflect on their conference title. Norths end their maiden National Finals appearance in fifth place — a respectable result given the absences of their three NBL-experienced players. The Bears will now turn to next season's NBL1 East campaign after a 20-0 regular season and conference championship.

Norths showed resilience to finish the tournament with a win after a difficult opening day. Their depth and shooting proved too much for a fatigued Rockingham side. Both teams have stronger conference titles than their National Finals record suggests — the gulf between the NBL1 conferences remains real, and seeding meant both drew tough opening matches against in-form opponents.