The 2023 NBL1 season was the fourth season of the NBL1. The season consisted of five conferences: South, North, Central, West and East.

2023 NBL1 season
LeagueNBL1
SportBasketball
Duration11 March – 12 August (Conference seasons)
18–20 August (NBL1 National Finals)
National Finals
ChampionsM: Knox Raiders
W: Bendigo Braves
  Runners-upM: Rockingham Flames
W: Norths Bears
Grand Final MVPM: Ke'Jhan Feagin (Knox Raiders)
W: Megan McKay (Bendigo Braves)
NBL1 seasons

The second annual National Finals were held in Perth, with both NBL1 National champions coming from the South Conference in the Bendigo Braves women and the Knox Raiders men.

Background

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The NBL1 had expanded in 2022 with the East Conference introduced alongside the South, North, Central and West.[1][2] No further expansion occurred in 2023.[3]

Conference seasons

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The season began on 11 March for the East Conference, 24 March for the North Conference, 25 March for the Central Conference, 31 March for the West Conference and 1 April for the North Conference.[3] All conference finals were concluded by 12 August.[4]

South

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The women's minor premiers were the Bendigo Braves with a 22–0 record while the men's minor premiers were the Knox Raiders with an 18–4 record.[5] Megan McKay of the Bendigo Braves was named women's MVP while Jack Purchase of the Melbourne Tigers and Daniel Trist of the Frankston Blues were named men's co-MVP.[6]

The women's grand final saw the Bendigo Braves defeat the Waverley Falcons 83–78[7] while the men's grand final saw the Knox Raiders defeat the Sandringham Sabres 90–86.[8] Amy Atwell of the Bendigo Braves was named women's grand final MVP while Bailey Nunn of the Knox Raiders was named men's grand final MVP.[7][8]

North

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The women's minor premiers were the Northside Wizards with a 16–3 record while the men's minor premiers were the Gold Coast Rollers with a 17–2 record.[5] Courtney Woods of the Northside Wizards was named women's MVP while Jason Cadee of the Gold Coast Rollers was named men's MVP.[6]

The women's grand final series saw the Northside Wizards defeat the Rockhampton Cyclones 2–0, with 87–52 in game one and 70–59 in game two,[9][10][11] while the men's grand final series saw the Ipswich Force defeat the Gold Coast Rollers 2–1, with the Rollers winning 100–86 in game one and the Force winning 119–98 in game two and 109–85 in game three.[9][10][12][13][14] Courtney Woods of the Northside Wizards was named women's grand final MVP while Nathan Sobey of the Ipswich Force was named men's grand final MVP.[10][12]

Central

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The women's minor premiers were the Sturt Sabres with an 18–0 record while the men's minor premiers were the West Adelaide Bearcats with a 15–3 record.[15] Brooke Basham of the Forestville Eagles was named women's MVP while Jordan Forbes of the Sturt Sabres was named men's MVP.[6]

The women's grand final saw the Norwood Flames defeat the Sturt Sabres 80–65[16] while the men's grand final saw the West Adelaide Bearcats defeat the Forestville Eagles 106–95.[17] Ally Wilson of the Norwood Flames was named women's grand final MVP while Lachlan Olbrich of the West Adelaide Bearcats was named men's grand final MVP.[16][17]

West

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The women's minor premiers were the Cockburn Cougars with an 18–2 record while the men's minor premiers were the Rockingham Flames with a 19–3 record.[18] Alexandra Sharp of the Willetton Tigers was named women's MVP while Devondrick Walker of the Rockingham Flames was named men's MVP.[19]

The women's grand final saw the Cockburn Cougars defeat the Willetton Tigers 68–61[20][21][22] while the men's grand final saw the Geraldton Buccaneers defeat the Joondalup Wolves 86–80.[23][24] Stephanie Gorman of the Cockburn Cougars was named women's grand final MVP while Johny Narkle of the Geraldton Buccaneers was named men's grand final MVP.[20][23]

East

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The women's minor premiers were the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles with a 20–2 record while the men's minor premiers were the BA Centre of Excellence with a 20–2 record.[18] Nicole Munger of the Newcastle Falcons was named women's MVP while William Cranston-Lown of the Maitland Mustangs was named men's MVP.[6]

The women's grand final saw the Norths Bears defeat the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 71–56[25] while the men's grand final saw the Sutherland Sharks defeat the Maitland Mustangs 83–80.[26] Jolene Anderson of the Norths Bears was named women's grand final MVP while Lochlan Hutchison of the Sutherland Sharks was named men's grand final MVP.[27][28]

Champions summary

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Women

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Conference Champion Result Runner-up
South Bendigo Braves 83 – 78 Waverley Falcons
North Northside Wizards 2 – 0
(87–52, 70–59)
Rockhampton Cyclones
Central Norwood Flames 80 – 65 Sturt Sabres
West Cockburn Cougars 68 – 61 Willetton Tigers
East Norths Bears 71 – 56 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Conference Champion Result Runner-up
South Knox Raiders 90 – 86 Sandringham Sabres
North Ipswich Force 2 – 1
(86–100, 119–98, 109–85)
Gold Coast Rollers
Central West Adelaide Bearcats 106 – 95 Forestville Eagles
West Geraldton Buccaneers 86 – 80 Joondalup Wolves
East Sutherland Sharks 83 – 80 Maitland Mustangs

National Finals

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2023 NBL1 National Finals at HBF Arena

The 2023 NBL1 National Finals took place at HBF Arena in Perth between Friday 18 August and Sunday 20 August.[29][30][31][32] It served as the second annual National Finals after the inaugural event took place in 2022.[33]

The 2022 defending champions, the Warwick Senators women and the Rockingham Flames men, earned automatic qualification into the 2023 NBL1 National Finals.[34] Had either team made their respective 2023 conference grand final, their opponents would have been guaranteed a spot in the National Finals.[35] The Senators women finished the 2023 West season in fifth place and lost in the semi finals while the Flames men finished the 2023 West season in first place and lost in the preliminary finals.[18] Joining them in the tournament were the champions from each of the five conferences.[34]

The six women's and men's teams faced off on Friday and Saturday for a spot in the Championship Games on Sunday. Each team played two preliminary games in which they generated ranking points, with the top two ranked women's and men's teams then playing in the Championship Game.[34]

Ranking points over the first two days included three points for a win, one point for each quarter won, and half a point for tied quarters.[34] Zero points were awarded for winning overtime periods.[36] The schedule for Friday was determined by a random draw. On Saturday, the highest point scorer from Friday played fifth place, the second highest played fourth place, and the third highest played sixth place. On Sunday, the top two point scores over Friday and Saturday played in the Championship Game.[34][36]

Both South Conference teams were victorious in the Championship Games, with the Bendigo Braves women and the Knox Raiders men being crowned NBL1 National champions.[37][38]

Day One – Friday

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Women

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  • East vs North
18 August 2023
4:30 pm
Norths Bears 104, Northside Wizards 81
Scoring by quarter: 30–20, 31–18, 19–24, 24–19
Pts: Emily Simons 20
Rebs: Jolene Anderson 9
Asts: Kate Seebohm 7
Pts: Amanda Johnson 24
Rebs: Amanda Johnson 14
Asts: Nadeen Payne 5
After Day 1: Norths 2nd (6 pts), Northside 5th (1 pt)[39]
Showcourt 2, HBF Arena, Perth
  • West vs South
18 August 2023
6:00 pm
Cockburn Cougars 57, Bendigo Braves 101
Scoring by quarter: 18–29, 9–19, 12–29, 18–24
Pts: Stephanie Gorman 14
Rebs: Sarah Mortensen 6
Asts: Patricia Brossmann 3
Pts: Megan McKay 25
Rebs: McKay, Wilson 9 each
Asts: Kelly Wilson 16
After Day 1: Cockburn 6th (0 pts), Bendigo 1st (7 pts)[39]
Showcourt 1, HBF Arena, Perth
  • Defending champion vs Central
18 August 2023
6:30 pm
Warwick Senators 100, Norwood Flames 87
Scoring by quarter: 27–25, 31–17, 17–25, 25–20
Pts: Karly Murphy 26
Rebs: Barr, Clinch Hoycard, Murphy 14 each
Asts: Natalie Burton 11
Pts: Ally Wilson 45
Rebs: Ally Wilson 18
Asts: Jada Rice 4
After Day 1: Warwick 3rd (6 pts), Norwood 4th (1 pt)[39]
Showcourt 2, HBF Arena, Perth
  • South vs Central
18 August 2023
4:00 pm
Knox Raiders 114, West Adelaide Bearcats 61
Scoring by quarter: 28–18, 26–11, 25–14, 35–18
Pts: Wayne Stewart Jr. 29
Rebs: Wayne Stewart Jr. 10
Asts: Ke'Jhan Feagin 10
Pts: Lachlan Hunter 18
Rebs: Nikolas DeSantis 6
Asts: Roxburgh, Staude 4 each
After Day 1: Knox 1st (7 pts), West Adelaide 6th (0 pts)[39]
Showcourt 1, HBF Arena, Perth
  • Defending champion vs North
18 August 2023
8:00 pm
Rockingham Flames 106, Ipswich Force 88
Scoring by quarter: 30–26, 23–24, 31–20, 22–18
Pts: Marshall Nelson 28
Rebs: Jeremy Combs 14
Asts: Devondrick Walker 7
Pts: Deng Deng 27
Rebs: Deng Deng 12
Asts: Jason Ralph 10
After Day 1: Rockingham 3rd (6 pts), Ipswich 4th (1 pt)[39]
Showcourt 1, HBF Arena, Perth
  • West vs East
18 August 2023
8:30 pm
Geraldton Buccaneers 98, Sutherland Sharks 76
Scoring by quarter: 25–17, 27–18, 22–30, 24–11
Pts: Johny Narkle 27
Rebs: Zac Gattorna 13
Asts: Shaun Stewart 8
Pts: Lochlan Hutchison 17
Rebs: Geoffrey Gerlach 8
Asts: Lochlan Hutchison 5
After Day 1: Geraldton 2nd (6 pts), Sutherland 5th (1 pt)[39]
Showcourt 2, HBF Arena, Perth

Day Two – Saturday

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Women

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  • 1st vs 5th
19 August 2023
2:00 pm
Bendigo Braves 112, Northside Wizards 73
Scoring by quarter: 28–15, 26–29, 29–15, 29–14
Pts: Amy Atwell 44
Rebs: Megan McKay 12
Asts: Kelly Wilson 13
Pts: Lil Dart 20
Rebs: Johnson, Haynes 6 each
Asts: Amanda Johnson 5
After Day 2: Bendigo 1st (13 pts), Northside 6th (2 pts)[40]
Showcourt 2, HBF Arena, Perth
  • 3rd vs 6th
19 August 2023
2:30 pm
Warwick Senators 59, Cockburn Cougars 62
Scoring by quarter: 12–11, 18–16, 15–21, 14–14
Pts: Karly Murphy 22
Rebs: Natalie Burton 13
Asts: Natalie Burton 7
Pts: Jessie Edwards 22
Rebs: Edwards, Mortensen 11 each
Asts: Stephanie Gorman 7
After Day 2: Warwick 3rd (8.5 pts), Cockburn 4th (4.5 pts)[40]
Showcourt 1, HBF Arena, Perth
  • 2nd vs 4th
19 August 2023
4:00 pm
Norths Bears 110, Norwood Flames 79
Scoring by quarter: 25–25, 33–20, 23–24, 29–10
Pts: Madeleine O'Hehir 32
Rebs: Anderson, Simons 9 each
Asts: Carla Pitman 5
Pts: Ally Wilson 47
Rebs: Wilson, Rice 8
Asts: Ally Wilson 5
After Day 2: Norths 2nd (11.5 pts), Norwood 5th (2.5 pts)[40]
Showcourt 2, HBF Arena, Perth
  • 2nd vs 4th
19 August 2023
4:30 pm
Geraldton Buccaneers 120, Ipswich Force 91
Scoring by quarter: 27–15, 24–27, 43–25, 26–24
Pts: Johny Narkle 30
Rebs: Liam Hunt 14
Asts: Shaun Stewart 9
Pts: Cameron Goldfinch 28
Rebs: Deng Deng 9
Asts: Jason Ralph 5
After Day 2: Geraldton 3rd (12 pts), Ipswich 5th (2 pts)[40]
Showcourt 1, HBF Arena, Perth
  • 1st vs 5th
19 August 2023
6:00 pm
Knox Raiders 124, Sutherland Sharks 113 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 27–32, 28–24, 28–20, 25–32Overtime: 16–5
Pts: Wayne Stewart Jr. 28
Rebs: Wayne Stewart Jr. 15
Asts: Ke'Jhan Feagin 10
Pts: Jordan Mitchell 32
Rebs: Beasley, Mitchell 6 each
Asts: Hutchison, Mitchell 8 each
After Day 2: Knox 2nd (12 pts), Sutherland 4th (3 pts)[40]
Showcourt 2, HBF Arena, Perth
  • 3rd vs 6th
19 August 2023
6:30 pm
Rockingham Flames 129, West Adelaide Bearcats 96
Scoring by quarter: 32–21, 32–23, 34–30, 31–22
Pts: Jeremy Combs 26
Rebs: Tom Jervis 12
Asts: Marshall Nelson 7
Pts: Nikolas DeSantis 27
Rebs: Nikolas DeSantis 6
Asts: Nikolas DeSantis 5
After Day 2: Rockingham 1st (13 pts), West Adelaide 6th (0 pts)[40]
Showcourt 1, HBF Arena, Perth

Day Three – Sunday

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Championship Games

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Women
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Rosters
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Game summary
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20 August 2023
11:00 am
Bendigo Braves 114, Norths Bears 87
Scoring by quarter: 22–21, 29–22, 34–16, 29–28
Pts: Megan McKay 46
Rebs: Megan McKay 15
Asts: Kelly Wilson 18
Pts: Madeleine O'Hehir 23
Rebs: Jolene Anderson 9
Asts: Kate Seebohm 10
Bendigo wins NBL1 National Championship
Showcourt 1, HBF Arena, Perth
MVP: Megan McKay (Braves)


NBL1 Women's National Championship Game
Bendigo Braves 2023 NBL1 National champions
Rosters
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Game summary
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20 August 2023
1:30 pm
Rockingham Flames 85, Knox Raiders 90
Scoring by quarter: 26–16, 19–33, 19–20, 21–21
Pts: Devondrick Walker 37
Rebs: Tom Jervis 12
Asts: Marshall Nelson 7
Pts: Ke'Jhan Feagin 27
Rebs: Austin Rapp 12
Asts: Ke'Jhan Feagin 9
Knox wins NBL1 National Championship
Showcourt 1, HBF Arena, Perth
MVP: Ke'Jhan Feagin (Raiders)


NBL1 Men's National Championship Game
Knox Raiders 2023 NBL1 National champions

All-Star Five

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Women

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References

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  14. ^ Tucker, Nick (7 August 2023). "NBL1 North Basketball finals: Jason Ralph, Nathan Sobey the winning recipe for the Ipswich Force". couriermail.com.au. Archived from the original on 8 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
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