Norths finish 5th, as NBL1 season comes to an end
Norths Bears split the weekend, 1-1, in Adelaide. Norths Juniors get a deserving oppurtunity to play on the biggest stage.
The Norths Bears enjoyed a long weekend in the city of churches, as they competed in the 2026 NBL1 National Finals.
Heading into the tournament, the Bears ranked 1st amongst the six Men’s teams competing in Adelaide.
Scheduled to play in the opening game of the tournament, they’d face a full-strength Frankston Blues side, high off their fairytale run in the NBL1 South.
With an available roster of 8, and lacking the likes of their NBL-calibre talent - Fabijan Krslovic, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk & Hunter Goodrick - the journey to victory was no doubt going to involve some adversity.
They’d also be played without young-gun Bailey Hanson, as he competed for Australia (U18 Emu’s) in the Asia Cup, and guard Jake Weinstein (personal reasons).
Nevertheless, the team were prepared for these game like any other, arriving in Adelaide with no doubts surrounding their ability to compete.
NBL1 National Finals 2026 - State Basketball Centre, Adelaide | Featured image: Aaron Camua/@aaron.camua
Game One: Norths bears vs frankston blues
The Norths Bears’ National Finals campaign began with a tough 93-79 defeat to the Frankston Blues on Friday afternoon.
The game opened the 2026 National Finals, and was the Bears’ first-ever at this level.
The Bears brought plenty of energy early on, staying on-par with the NBL1 South Champions throughout the opening quarter. Norths led early, before Frankston steadied their defense, and sunk some key baskets to take a 22-19 lead into the break.
The depth of the Blues began to show, as they extended their lead, and Norths worked hard to stay within touching distance. A late exchange of triples from both teams saw Frankston take a 44-36 advantage into Half-Time.
A 24-19 third quarter gave Frankston greater control of the game, with the Bears unable to generate the sustained run needed to close the margin. Norths’ deep lying spirit showed throughout, as they continued to battle throughout the final period. Unfortunatelty it was the Blues that managed their constant lead and closed out a 93-79 victory.
Despite the result, the short-handed Bears showed plenty of fight in their National Finals debut, taking the game to a 12-man Frankston side that arrived in Adelaide with ample confidence.
For Norths, the attention quickly turned to the remaining two Men’s Round One fixtures that followed. The margin from these games would determine the Bears new ranking, and ultimately what Day 2 of their National Finals campaign would look like.
Top Performers
Norths Bears:
Lewis Holey (#13) - 17 points | 5/8 3PM
Lachlan Bofinger (#22) - 14 points | 6 assists | 2 blocks
Frankston Blues:
Jack Stanwix (#7) - 24 points | 50% FG | 4 steals
Jeremy Combs (#22) - 14 points | 13 rebounds
Featured images: Aaron Camua/@aaron.camua
game two: Norths bears vs rockingham flames
Following a tough opening game against Frankston, the Norths Bears narrowly missed out on a top-four placement. As a result they would play Rockingham Flames on Day 2, in their final fixture of the tournament.
The Bears again entered the contest short-handed, with Rockingham holding a numbers advantage once again, but after Friday’s performance, you could sense a determination to make this game count.
Norths battled hard throughout the opening quarter, taking an early lead and carrying it with them throughout the ten minutes. The Bears dominated the inside lane, and won their first quarter of the tournament, 27-20.
The second quarter followed a similar trend, with the short-handed Bears executing some brilliant ball movement and offensive pressure, proving too much for the Flames. Norths continued to find ways to score, while key defensive stops from Bofinger and Holey preventing Rockingham from ever getting the run they needed to take control.
The Bears took a 48-37 lead into Half-Time, and showed no signs of slowing down for the second half. The third quarter proved a 3-point shootout, with both teams shooting the trey at an impressively high rate (Norths 60% vs Rockingham 66.7%).
As the final quarter wore on, Norths managed the game brilliantly, keeping the Flames at arm's length and holding onto their 12-point lead to close out the game.
It was a statement response from Norths after Friday’s defeat, taking down the NBL1 West Champions 96-84.
This victory gives the Bears a 1-1 record in the 2026 National Finals, ending their impressive season on a high.
Top Performers
Norths Bears:
Lachlan Bofinger (#22) - 23 points | 9 rebounds | 3 steals | 2 blocks
Ignatius Mitchell (#2) - 16 points | 6 assists | 5 rebounds
Robert Moore (#11) - 18 points | 3/8 3PM
Rockingham Flames:
Emmett Naar (#5) - 20 points | 14 assists
Blake Jones (#9) - 27 points | 7 rebounds | 65% FG
Featured image: Aaron Camua/@aaron.camua
Looking ahead to the future
With the National Finals concluding our 2026 NBL1 season, we look forward - planning for the future, and welcoming back our passionate fans for another exciting season in 2027.
Keep a keen eye out for our Norths Bears home-game season passes & premium experience packages to be released in the not-too-distant future.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIALS
