The NBL1 South conference have been crowned the 2023 women's and men's Champions!
The NBL1 National Championships were held at HBF Arena Joondalup in Perth over the weekend. Each conference champion for women and men gathered to compete in the national finals to crown the 2023 Champs.
NBL1 South were represented by the Bendigo Braves women who have been the standout womens' team this year. They completed the perfect NBL1 season with the NBL1 South champions claiming the National Championship on Sunday with Megan McKay unstoppable in the 114-87 win over the NBL1 East's Norths Bears.
On the back of an undefeated NBL1 South season, the Braves won their three games at the NBL National Finals, by a combined 110 points against the Cockburn Cougars, Northside Wizards and Bears on the way to becoming national champions.
It was then a competitive first half with the Bears doing well to stick with the Braves despite the dominant presence of Megan McKay, but the longer the game went and she was more and more unstoppable. McKay ended up being named Championship Game MVP on the back of winning the NBL1 South MVP this season.
The Knox Raiders mens' team arrived in Perth missing their NBL experienced front court pair Deng Acouth and Mason Peatling, and with only seven available players, they still won through to the Championship Game with wins over the West Adelaide Bearcats and Sutherland Sharks. Rockingham Flames came up aginst the Raiders in the Championship Game and they had a point to prove after bowing out of the NBL1 West season in the preliminary final despite finishing on top of the table in defence of last year's championship. The Flames had a National Championship to defend and they weren’t short on motivation and with a full squad available.
However the Raiders had a different idea and completed their perfect weekend at the National Finals by scoring a stunning 90-85 Championship Game victory against the Rockingham Flames.
Congratulations to both of the NBL1 South teams who arrive home as National Champions!
