Bryce, Brady Star for Wildcats to Snap Losing Slide

Brady Manek produced the best performance of his NBL career and Bryce Cotton delivered the killer fourth quarter blows as the Perth Wildcats snapped their worst losing slide since 2005 to beat the Adelaide 36ers 94-89.

In front of a record Adelaide Entertainment Centre crowd of 9071 on Saturday night, the Wildcats put their recent struggles aside with Manek and Cotton the stars in a critical win over a 36ers team once again struggling at home.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VI0F1PGVmi0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

With the 36ers determined to perform at home having lost by a combined 54 points in their two losses to Tasmania and New Zealand, and pressure mounting on Perth with a first five-game losing run in 17 years, the resumption of the league's most storied rivalry was always going to have another chapter.

Everything the Wildcats needed they got early with captain Jesse Wagstaff, fellow veterans Todd Blanchfield and Corey Webster, and then rookie import Brady Manek all catching fire as they opened up a 13-point advantage.

However, the 36ers wouldn’t lie down and a huge three on half-time from Craig Randall II tied scores up, and then by midway through the fourth quarter they were up five with all the momentum.

But Cotton and Manek would have none of it. Cotton hit three triples, Manek a three-point play and the Wildcats scored the game's next 14 points to go from five down to nine points up and to end up winning by five.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;Don&#39;t call it a comeback, I&#39;ve been here for years&quot; ??<br><br>Bryce Cotton is ? live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel ? <a href="https://t.co/dywLkR2cdu">pic.twitter.com/dywLkR2cdu</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1588843581833297925?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The win eases the pressure on the Wildcats who now go into the FIBA break 4-5 after five straight losses and Manek answered the call for his best NBL appearance with 25 points with 6/8 three-point shooting.

Afterwards, Manek was just happy to find some confidence and contribute to the improved team performance.

"It feels good and I think it feels good to get out there and play, and play well," Manek said.

"I think we did a great job today of moving the ball, playing together and there's always going to be mistakes defensively or offensively.

"We had a stretch of turnovers there, but I think overall it was just fun. We had a lot of fun today and you see that in the stat sheet with multiple guys contributing."

Cotton added 15 points and five assists with 12 of those points coming in the fourth quarter.

Webster also delivered 18 points for Perth, Wagstaff nine points and three steals as they finished with 24 assists to 12 turnovers for the night while also winning the rebound count for the first time in NBL23.

It's another rough home performance from Adelaide despite the record crowd of 9071. The Sixers' lone win in four home matches now came when they dug themselves out of a hole against the bottom placed Illawarra Hawks.

Robert Franks top-scored with 24 points to go with eight rebounds but his front court partner from Thursday, Daniel Johnson when they combined for 53, had just four points and five assists on 1/4 shooting.

Antonis Cleveland ended up with 22 points, four rebounds and two steals with Randall returning for 13 points.

Adelaide coach CJ Bruton did at least like the fighting spirit the 36ers shown even if obviously not happy with the final result.

"Everyone wants to play well at home and are excited to be at home, but playing from behind hurts," Bruton said.

"But we did a nice job of crawling back in the game and tying it back up at half-time even though we didn’t have a lead for very long. But I liked the energy to get back into it and to share the ball, and to play with that passion on the back of the energy from the crowd giving us a little bit of a punch too."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Craig Randall is coming for the crown ?<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel ? <a href="https://t.co/33KDPPwL77">pic.twitter.com/33KDPPwL77</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1588830483458105344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The best way to answer the pressure the Wildcats were feeling was to come out firing and that's exactly what they did to quieten the 9071 in attendance. Todd Blanchfield and Jesse Wagstaff used their combined 781 games of experience to share the first 10 points for the 'Cats in a 10-2 start.

Brady Manek then hit the floor to give his captain a breather and immediately knocked down a three to make it 14-3. Robert Franks answered with a couple of buckets for Adelaide, but then another 8-0 Perth run that included triples from Manek and Corey Webster saw the Wildcats on top 21-18.

It was still 24-15 by the end of one for the under-fire 'Cats who went 5/12 from beyond the arc.

Blanchfield pushed the lead back out to 11 to start the second quarter before six straight Sixers points including an alley-oop finish from Kai Sotto on the crafty pass from Daniel Johnson.

Perth steadied with a third three of the half from Manek, but Adelaide answered with six straight points to close to within two and scores were locked at 46-apiece going into the half thanks to a three on buzzer from way downtown for the home team from Craig Randall II.

Adelaide took the lead for the first time to start the second half with successive scores from Franks, but Perth answered the challenge with the next 12 points including a fourth three ball from Manek and another from Wagstaff and two strong finishes from TaShawn Thomas.

Manek nailed a fifth triple to make the lead nine but it was then the Sixers' turn to hit back. It started with a Sunday Dech long ball before two baskets to Randall, and two to Anthony Drmic to give Adelaide the 63-62 lead by three quarter-time.

The stage was set for a cracking Adelaide-Perth finish with so much at stake for both teams. They traded the lead throughout the early stages of the fourth with the 36ers going up five but then Bryce Cotton hit successive three-pointers for the visitors.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">TaShawn Thomas is that MAN ? ?<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel ? <a href="https://t.co/HfLStcUvdO">pic.twitter.com/HfLStcUvdO</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1588840328739495936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A three-point play from Manek then took him to 20 points for the first time in his NBL career before Cotton knocked down a fourth triple of the fourth term to push the 'Cats out to a seven-point lead with four minutes on the clock.

Luke Travers stretched the lead to nine with free-throws to stretch the run to 14-0 which was ultimately the catalyst to the pressure easing five-point victory for the Wildcats.

Both teams have played their last game until after the FIBA break which will see the 36ers first up on Thursday November 17 on the road to Melbourne United. The 'Cats will host the South East Melbourne Phoenix later that same evening.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 6

ADELAIDE 36ERS 89 (Franks 24, Cleveland 22, Randall 13)

PERTH WILDCATS 94 (Manek 25, Cotton 15, Webster 18) 

BOX SCORE