Off-Season Player Wrap: DJ dominates up North

DJ Mitchell (Ipswich Force)
31PTS, 11REBS, 7ASTS, 2STLS vs Cairns Marlins (W)

DJ Mitchell continued his hot streak, posting another 30+ point game along alongside another double-digit rebound effort in Ipswich’s 14-point win over Cairns. The win moves Ipswich into fifth position with two rounds remaining before finals.

Akech Aliir (Mt Gambier Pioneers)
17PTS, 8REBS, 3ASTS, 3STLS, 3BLKS vs Bendigo Braves (W)
31PTS, 11REBS, 2ASTS, 1STL, 1BLK vs Nunawading Spectres (W) 

Mt Gambier secured back-to-back wins over Bendigo and Nunawading to remain in second position with one round remaining in NBL1 South. Aliir continued his career-best form with the Adelaide team, recording a 48-point weekend and a double-double on Saturday against the Spectres in a six-point victory.

Daniel Foster (Keilor Thunder)
19PTS, 7REBS, 2ASTS, 6STLS vs Sandringham Sabres (L)
18PTS, 6REBS, 4ASTS, 2STLS vs Ballarat Miners (L)
28PTS, 4REBS, 4ASTS, 3STLS vs Knox Raiders (L)

Foster had three huge games in the past week, starting last Tuesday in a thriller against top-four side Sandringham. After the Sabres led for the majority of the game, a late surge from the Thunder wasn’t quite enough, going down by one point. Foster continued his hot form for Keilor, recording a monster six steals in the loss.

Back on court over the weekend, unfortunately the Thunder went down to Ballarat and Knox by 10 and 11 points respectively. Despite the losses, the Phoenix development player impressed, totalling 46 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and five steals across the two games.

Angus Glover (Ringwood Hawks)
20PTS, 13REBS, 4ASTS vs Melbourne Tigers (W)
8PTS, 3REBS, 5ASTS, 1STL vs Knox Raiders (L)

Glover continued his strong form from beyond the arc in a Tuesday win against the Melbourne Tigers. He recorded a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 4/9 (44%) from downtown, to help his side to an 11-point win.

Back on court on Saturday night, the Hawks challenged ladder-leaders Knox but went down by a slim three-point margin. Glover had a quieter outing, scoring eight points in the loss. 

Gorjok Gak (Casey Cavillers) 
5PTS, 3REBS, 2ASTS, 1STL, 1BLK vs Kilsyth Cobras (L)
6PTS, 3REBS vs Geelong United (W)

Casey went 1–1 across the weekend, starting on Friday night with a 21-point loss to Kilsyth. The big filled up the stat sheet, posting contributions across the board.

On Saturday, Casey returned to the winner’s list with a six-point victory over Geelong. Unfortunately, Casey slipped out of the top eight, making a win in the final round of the regular season crucial to keep their finals hopes alive.

Stay tuned via Phoenix socials and website to be kept updated on how players perform during the off-season.