REIGNING MVP Bryce Cotton is set to return on Friday night as the Perth Wildcats tackle the SEM Phoenix at RAC Arena. Perth’s superstar has missed the last five games after suffering a fractured rib in the Round 5 loss to New Zealand.

Cotton said that the injury changed the way he was living day-to-day, in that he had to sleep on his back to avoid pain and that he just wanted to be able to get back to daily movements in life pain-free. 

Cotton returns to a Wildcats outfit that has gone 3-2 without him, and head coach John Rillie will need to shake up the line-up to accommodate Cotton’s minutes.

Ben Henshall has stepped up into a major role as the team’s starting point guard since the injury, averaging over 12 points and four assists per game in Cotton’s absence. Rillie altered the starting line-up against Melbourne United on Saturday, shifting Keanu Pinder to the bench and starting Next Star Izan Almansa alongside Henshall, Kristian Doolittle, Elijah Pepper and Dylan Windler.

Tai Webster came off the bench with Pinder but whether the Wildcats opt to go back to the starters that they began the year with remains to be seen. If Webster, Cotton, Windler, Doolittle and Pinder started, a bench outfit of Henshall, Pepper and Alamnsa would boast serious talent that has been exposed to big minutes in recent times. 

Cotton’s return also means the end of Todd Withers’ tenure in Perth for NBL25, but the big man can hold his head high as he came in and contributed sturdily over the last five games. Should the Wildcats need another injury replacement player at any point this year Withers would likely be welcomed back with open arms. 

As the Wildcats turn their focus to South East Melbourne on Friday night, they will be faced with a side that hit its stride in Round 9, blowing out the Cairns Taipans by 23 points as they themselves welcomed backDerrick Walton Jr from injury. Nathan Sobey has regained form in his absence, Angus Glover has had a stellar patch over the last few games and Next Star Malique Lewis is in red hot form coming off his best three games as an NBL player. 

These two sides did battle less than two weeks ago, and it was the Phoenix who got the chocolates, as five players scored in double digits led by Sobey’s 20-point, five rebound, five assist and three block performance.

The Wildcats only managed 76 points in that meeting despite shooting 35 per cent from downtown, due to the Phoenix’s big men stifling the paint scoring. Jordan Hunter and Matt Hurt combined for 15 rebounds and three blocks as the Wildcats struggled inside the arc, shooting just 16/43.

The Wildcats will need to have their shooting touch if they are to win this game from the perimeter, and it remains to be seen whether Cotton will need to be eased in on a minutes restriction, and how long it takes him to find his outside shot. 

The two sides sit side by side in the standings after eight rounds, both having won five games. The Phoenix will look to overtake Perth with an away win on Friday night, as they seek a fourth win in their last five games. 

The Wildcats have a quick turnaround after the clash as they fly straight to Brisbane to play the Bullets on Sunday afternoon. 

The Perth Lynx did battle with the UC Capitals on Thursday evening at AIS Arena, coming off two wins in their opening three games. The Capitals came in winless having gone down by big margins to Bendigo and Sydney.

Wins don’t come much scrappier than this but the Lynx were able to get over the line, despite 13 turnovers and another lousy performance at the free throw line shooting less than 65 per cent. Perth were able to hold the Capitals to just 28 per cent shooting from the three-point line and when the game was on the line in the final quarter the Lynx put the clamps on, keeping the away side to 18 final term points. 

The Lynx were again boosted by a fantastic shooting performance from Miela Sowah, who nailed four 3’s from eight attempts en route to 18 points for the game, while Laeticia Amihere was outstanding with 24 points and 10 rebounds to go with three steals and two blocks. Amihere went at a ridiculously efficient 83% from the field as she anchored the Lynx’s defence and reaped the rewards on the other end of the floor as well.

Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard, Alex Wilson and Anneli Maley stuffed the stat sheet combining for 29 points, 10 assists, 21 rebounds and three steals. Young gun Steph Gorman also chipped in three 3-point makes as she continues to let it fly with confidence from downtown. 

For the Capitals, it was tough to buy a bucket despite Jade Melbourne and Nyadiew Puoch dropping a combined 40 points on the evening. Charli Collier feasted on 12 rebounds inside to give her a double-double along with 10 points, but the poor shooting proved too costly as they delivered their second consecutive poor performance from beyond the arc.

They did outscore the Lynx 11-0 on the fast break but were beaten themselves on the boards and had just one block for the entire game. 

The Capitals now sit 0-3 and in treacherous territory as they next face reigning premiers Southside on Sunday morning, the Flyers looking to build on their win against Sydney last Saturday. The Capitals can look forward three games in seven days while Perth are set for a bit of a break.

The Lynx escaped with the narrow two-point victory and move to an impressive 3-1 record, now getting over a week of rest back in Western Australia before hosting the Sydney Flames next Saturday.