ROUND One of the 2023/24 National Basketball League (NBL) season saw some memorable performances, including a breakout game from one of the Perth Wildcats young guns, Ben Henshall.

The Wildcats travelled to Victoria to take on the SEM Phoenix at John Cain Arena on Sunday afternoon, with the two sides coming off different results to start the season. The Wildcats previously got the better of the Tasmania JackJumpers at RAC Arena, while the Phoenix fell to Melbourne United in Thursday’s season-opener.

Despite home court advantage standing with South East Melbourne, the Wildcats were expected to get the job done after a convincing performance earlier in the round and some promising off-season additions.

However, the Phoenix delivered a statement performance to get on the board for the fixture, claiming an 11-point win over the Wildcats. The home side looked set for another defeat after an underwhelming performance in the first half.

However, a monster dunk from import Tyler Cook over NBL Next Star Alexandre Sarr sparked the Phoenix in a match-defining third quarter. Perth simply could not keep up, falling 110-99 for its first loss of the season.

Despite a disappointing result, the Wildcats would be encouraged by the performance of Henshall, who was a shining light for Perth on a tough day at the office.

South East Melbourne Phoenix (110) def. Perth Wildcats (99)

Ben Henshall – 24 points, five rebounds, one assist

One of the brightest Australian prospects was in full flight against the Phoenix, as Henshall erupted with the best offensive performance of his short career.

The guard was the Wildcats’ best player on a list that is certainly not shy of star power. With the likes of Bryce Cotton and Jordan Usher having off nights, it was Henshall that was the most consistent avenue to scoring, keeping his side in the match until the dying stages of the match.

The 19-year-old delivered a game-high 24 points, shooting 9/14 from the field and proving a bit of a handful for the Phoenix defence. In just 24 minutes of play, Henshall exploded with a deep bag on the offensive end, scoring at all three levels.

Whether it was scoring off the dribble, knocking down catch and shoot three pointers, or slicing into the lane where he could finish at the rim, Henshall was an immense presence for Perth and showed the ability to be a damaging scorer at NBL level.

With the Wildcats searching for more scoring options to surround Cotton, the importance of Henshall to deliver this performance cannot be understated. Expect his minutes to increase even further over the coming weeks, as he looks to cement his place as one of the team’s best offensive options.