UniSC Rip City Men fall to the Northside Wizards

The UniSC Rip City Men fell to the Northside Wizards 92-91 on a last second shot by former Brisbane Bullet and NBA alum, Andrew White III.

The men played poorly and found themselves down by as much as 15 at one point.

However, the likes of Louis Ilton and Verle Williams changed the pace of the game with their excellent defensive effort, forcing turnovers and tough shots from the Wizards before the men eventually took the lead in the fourth.

Kouat Noi continued on right where he left off last season in his return for Rip with a 34 point and 15 rebound performance.

Too many defensive lapses cost the men in this one, however they will look to bounce back this week against an extremely talented Logan team.

Logan are loaded with NBL talent and firepower in the 2023 campaign, led by former Cairns Taipan, Majok Deng’s 28.7 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.

Boston Mazlin comes in averaging 17.3 points, Brisbane Bullet, Rasmus Bach is averaging 15 points per game and former NBLer Mitch Young is averaging 14.5 points per game.

The engine to the group is Sydney King and NBL Champion, Shaun Bruce who comes in averaging 11 points per game and 8.8 assists per game.

Expect this one to be an entertaining game and the biggest test the men have faced to this point.

To secure a win, the first point of emphasis will be slowing down Majok Deng, who is absolutely lighting the league up with his ability to score both inside and out. His unique combination of size and skill will make him a tough matchup for the Rip.

Shaun Bruce will be the other key with three exceptional shooters around him in Mazlin, Bach and Deng will be tough for the men to cover.

They will need to be locked in on the defensive end and match the physicality of the Logan men on the glass.

Come down for what is sure to be an exciting matchup between the UniSC Rip City men and Logan Thunder at UniSC stadium on Saturday at 7:30 or catch the game on the NBL1 livestream