THE ninth round of the National Basketball League’s (NBL) 2021/22 season kicked off on Thursday night, with the Perth Wildcats taking on the Illawarra Hawks at WIN Entertainment Centre. It was a highly anticipated clash, with both sides starting the season in red-hot form, and had the potential to shape the ladder moving forward. The two sides had faced off last round, with the Wildcats emerging victorious, so the Hawks were entering this clash seeking revenge. However, once again it was Perth who took home the chocolates, proving that they still have the capability to win it all this year, despite some disappointing losses and some tough competition.

The match was closely contested in the first half, with both sides trading some pretty difficult baskets and providing some seriously entertaining play. There were buzzer-beaters, ankle breakers and baskets from downtown as each side looked to gain ascendancy over their opponents. The Wildcats had a two-point lead at the main break, with things looking likely to go either way in the second half. However, it was Perth who was able to flick the switch in the final two quarters, bursting away from their opponents to claim a 94-80 win to keep themselves in touch with the ladder-leading Melbourne United.

The side won most of the key statistical categories on their way to an impressive 14-point win. As expected, they shot a higher percentage than their opponents in all of the shooting areas. The only blemish in this is the fact that the Hawks made one more shot from behind the three-point line, but this was also from 12 more attempts. One of the most impressive factors in this is the fact that the Wildcats found their way to the free throw line remarkably more than their opponents. The victors made 21 free throws from 27 attempts, while the Hawks could only find 11 attempts for the entire match. Perth was also able to pull down four more boards than the opposition, and dish out a whopping nine more assists, which is reflective of their strong ball movement.

The side was well-served by the superstar duo of Bryce Cotton and Victor Law, both of whom were able to fire in the win. It is well-known that if the pair are both able to score 20-plus points in a match, then it is quite likely that the Wildcats are going to emerge victorious. Cotton poured in 28 points and six rebounds as he continues his quest for a third consecutive NBL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Law also kept his strong season rolling with 24 points and eight rebounds. It appears the team has found yet another reliable avenue to scoring of late, with Todd Blanchfield recording his second double-digit outing in a row with 14 points off the bench.

Team Stats:

31/82 (37%)	FG	32/61 (52%)
21/47 (44%)	2P	23/38 (60%)
10/35 (28%)	3P	9/23 (39%)
8/11 (72%)	FT	21/27 (77%)
40	REB	44
10	AST	19
5	STL	3
7	BLK	10
10	TO	14