Star-studded Marlins dominate young Heat side

THE NBL-stacked Marlins have made light work of Townsville’s development side in the first two games of the Top of the North Challenge.

In each of the two games played on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, the Marlins boasted as many as five players who saw NBL court time last year as well as Next Stars signing Mojave King.

On other hand, Townsville had five high school kids and just two rotation QBL players in their side and only travelled with eight players.

Cairns won well in both games.

Townsville Heat coach Rodney Anderson was proud of the way his group did not quit and fought back after being down by a large margin at halftime in the first game as well as making Sunday’s contest more competitive.

Dual Marlin and Taipan Mirko Djeric, who had 14 assists in the first game, said the NBL players can take something out of the lopsided contests.

“That is what we have been working on at training now, getting our chemistry on pinpoint, getting ourselves ready for whenever the season starts,” Djeric said before the game. “This is just a stepping stone for that.”

In the women’s edition, the games were split, with Cairns getting the chocolates on Saturday before their southern rivals got one back on Sunday.

The teams return to Townsville on the weekend of September 12 to complete the series.

Top of the North Challenge Game one

Marlins 107 d Heat 76 (Majok Deng 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists)

Game two

Marlins 105 d Heat 86 (George Blagojevic 26 points and eight rebounds)