JackJumpers Deliver, Cause 'Cats More Pain

The Tasmania JackJumpers withstood a storm from Bryce Cotton before blowing the Perth Wildcats away the longer the game went to go into RAC Arena and come out with the 85-77 victory on Thursday night.

While the JackJumpers were looking to hit back from losing to the New Zealand Breakers by 32 points on Sunday, the Wildcats should have been the desperate team after losing four straight including the last two inside The Jungle.

And with Cotton going for 16 points, four assists and three rebounds in the first half, the 'Cats did maintain a degree of control, but the JackJumpers took the best of Cotton and then no other Wildcats were able to step up enough in the second half.

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It was another masterful defensive performance from Tasmania to hold Perth to 77 points on 41 per cent shooting, but outside of Cotton it was just 51 points on 17/43 from the field.

Combined with that defensive performance, the JackJumpers were efficient and effective offensively going for 14/29 from downtown despite only taking 11 free-throws to 31 from Perth. Tasmania dominated the glass too with 48 rebounds to 32, and 15 at the offensive end to five.

After trailing most of the first three quarters, the JackJumpers went on a 19-3 run in the fourth quarter and hand the Wildcats their fifth consecutive loss for the first time since 2005. Not only that, but they have lost nine of the last 13 inside RAC Arena.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">In a close game like this, buckets like that could prove CRUCIAL ?<br><br>Rashard Kelly with the dagger off the inbound ??<br><br>Catch the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> action live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel. <a href="https://t.co/dvLWCUdFtq">pic.twitter.com/dvLWCUdFtq</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1588139129048481792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Jack McVeigh was superb again for the JackJumpers with 22 points and six rebounds with Josh Magette nailing 6/10 from three-point land for 18 points and three assists.

Milton Doyle added 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, Rashard Kelly 12 points, nine boards and four assists, and Fabijan Krslovic seven points and six rebounds.

JackJumpers coach Scott Roth was delighted with the fighting spiriting once again shown by his team.

"I loved our grit and energy, and passion to play. When we're consistent defensively and the ball moves offensively for us we're quite a handful at times," Roth said.

"I just love our guys, they are a pack of guys who grind and grit, and try to defend the island the best they can and try to make Tasmanians proud. 

"This is quite a long road trip for us and this is the finish of our really difficult travel for the last five weeks, and we're thankful to move on from here."

Cotton did all he could for the Wildcats with 26 points, six assists and five rebounds, but he was just worn down and didn’t receive enough help.

While Jesse Wagstaff added 13 points, TaShawn Thomas nine, Mitch Norton eight and Brady Manek eight, Todd Blanchfield (three points, 1/3 shooting) and Corey Webster (one point, 0/6) struggled mightily.

It was a matter of fact Wildcats coach John Rillie post-match following the fifth straight loss.

"Right now we're not a good basketball team when we get critiqued the heaviest," Rillie said.

"We're going to keep chipping away at this and I believe in your work ethic behind closed doors getting rewarded at some stage. 

"We're doing a great job at practice and so forth so it's just about keeping that belief of where we want to get to. But right now we're not a good team when we show up for game night."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BRADY MANEK TOO BIG TOO STRONG ?<br><br>The bearded big-man gets the mismatch down low and finishes smoooooth ?<br><br>Catch the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> action live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel. <a href="https://t.co/a2KePPNDcq">pic.twitter.com/a2KePPNDcq</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1588120683719970817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Jesse Wagstaff and Bryce Cotton drained early threes to help Perth to a strong start before Brady Manek hit the floor and converted a quick three-point play.

That gave the 'Cats the start they were after but the JackJumpers kept themselves in touch and despite Perth taking nine free-throws to nil in the first quarter, they only narrowly led 19-16 at the end of one.

Again it was three balls from Wagstaff and Cotton to start the second quarter that kept the home team on top before three free-throws and then another make from beyond the arc by Cotton had the Wildcats on top by 11.

As we've come to expect, Tasmania found its way back into the game, though, and it started with a three-point play to Milton Doyle giving the JackJumpers their only free-throw of the half.

However, three balls to Josh Magette and Jack McVeigh kept things close and despite the Wildcats taking 15 extra foul shots, Tasmania did attempt 10 more field goals and by half-time it was Perth leading narrowly 38-36.

Magette came out and knocked down a three to give Tasmania a first lead for the game, but it didn’t last long. Cotton sparked another 9-0 run for the 'Cats leading to a Scott Roth timeout.

His JackJumpers team responded with the next seven points and then following threes from Luke Travers and Wagstaff, Tasmania made another 8-0 run including three balls from Fabijan Krslovic and Jarrad Weeks.

That helped the JackJumpers lead 60-58 by three quarter-time and the game's trend continued with the JackJumpers knocking down their threes and the Wildcats living at the foul line.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">There&#39;s shooting from deep, and there&#39;s shooting from DEEP ?‍??<br><br>Josh Magette fires one home from the carpark ? <a href="https://t.co/fpUnUVkvbk">pic.twitter.com/fpUnUVkvbk</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1588127353670025216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Magette drained a couple from deep to put the JackJumpers up three with seven minutes to play before Rashard Kelly joined in. McVeigh hit the next five points and all of a sudden with Kelly making two at the stripe the JackJumpers were in control by 11.

Magette then closed the door on the Wildcats with his sixth three of the night to push the lead out to 14 and the JackJumpers went on to win by eight to hand Perth a fifth straight loss for the first time since 2005.

Both teams back up to play again in Round 6 on Saturday with the JackJumpers first up at home to refreshed Brisbane Bullets. The Wildcats head to Adelaide to play the 36ers.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 6

PERTH WILDCATS 77 (Cotton 26, Wagstaff 13, Thomas 9)

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 85 (McVeigh 22, Magette 18, Doyle 15) 

BOX SCORE