OVER the weekend, the National Basketball League (NBL) began its 10th round of action across a number of courts around Australia. There were some surprising results to take out of the schedule in this time, as the standings begin to slightly change. One of the sides making a move up the ladder is the Tasmania JackJumpers, who have been in some serious form of late. They faced a massive test on Sunday, coming up against Melbourne United, who have been outstanding to start the season.

The reigning champions found their eight-game winning streak brought to an end recently, but still entered this clash heavily favoured. The JackJumpers were on a hot streak of their own heading into this matchup, but given United’s strength to start the year, still faced a tough task. However, the team from the Apple Isle were able to pass with flying colours, getting out to a big lead early and holding off their fast finishing opponents to claim their sixth win from their 12 outings this season.

The JackJumpers burst out of the gates in the opening period, with their offence firing on all cylinders to start the contest. Their stars were in form, particularly Josh Adams, who was excellent at creating his own shot, despite the heavy defensive attention. The JackJumpers ended up dropping a whopping 36 points in the first quarter alone, which was the highest-scoring term from any team so far this season. It also put United on the back foot, with the fans at John Cain Arena stunned by the outstanding form of the visitors early. The second quarter was much more even, with United fighting back to chip away at the 13-point lead. By the time the third quarter concluded, the margin was at just seven points heading into the final period. United’s hopes of an impressive comeback were dashed when JackJumper Jack McVeigh drained a massive shot to seal the result and give his side their fourth consecutive win.

One of the biggest reasons for the result was the top-notch shooting of the victors from behind the arc. United struggled in this category, while the JackJumpers were able to sink 12 of their 27 shots from downtown, which gave them a massive boost on the scoreboard. Their ability to get to the free throw line was also crucial in sealing the result, making 26 of their 30 attempts at the charity stripe as they gained scoreboard ascendancy over their opponents.

There were a healthy number of contributors for Tasmania in the win, with four players scoring double-digits thanks to some strong ball movement. McVeigh led the way with 17 points in a clutch performance, while Adams and MiKyle McIntosh poured in 16 points themselves on some reasonably accurate shooting numbers. United were well-served by Jo Lual Acuil‘s 29-point, 21-rebound performance, but he did not receive enough help in the end.