Noi guides USC to NBL1 North quarter-final win

Sydney Kings forward Kouat Noi is one step closer to claiming the inaugural NBL1 North crown after Saturday's quarter-final win by USC against Darwin.

At the USC Sports Stadium, recently crowned NBL1 North MVP Noi tallied a huge double-double (30 points and 15 rebounds), as Rip City held off the Salties 89-86.

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In the win, the NSW product also added two triples, one assist and one steal, to steer USC to week two of the 2022 finals series - where they'll be pitted against Cairns, who defeated Ipswich 94-91.

That semi-final at the USC Sports Stadium will tip-off at 7.30pm Saturday - with the winner progressing to play the victor of the Gold Coast/Northside showdown.

Unfortunately, the NBL1 North season is over for fellow Kings Jaylin Galloway and Biwali Bayles, after their Mackay Meteors went down 98-96 to Northside on Saturday.

In the defeat, Galloway recorded 23 points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block, while Bayles contributed 13 points, nine dimes and six boards.

Moving to NBL1 East and Ignatius Mitchell tallied 14 points,11 rebounds, two assists and one steal in Norths' 93-72 loss to Newcastle.

That result sees the Bears drop to fifth and will now take on the fourth-placed Illawarra Hawks in Saturday's elimination final at The Snakepit - with the winner progressing to play Canberra in the semi-final.

In other news, Kings skipper Xavier Cooks and his Wellington Saints bowed out in the New Zealand NBL preliminary finals, going down 92-87 to Auckland despite 26 points, 16 rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals by the league MVP.