By Lenny Roberts

THE Perth Wildcats picked up their fourth win of the season after holding off a determined Illawarra team behind a season-high 26 points from forward Ben Henshall.

The 20-year-old was a big reason why Perth got on top early even without star player, Bryce Cotton, with Henshall knocking down five triples and dishing out six dimes under Friday night lights. Both teams were coming off victories in their previous matches, so this was sure to be a thrilling contest.

Stats: 26 points (8-15 FG, 5-8 3PT, 5-7 FT), one rebound, six assists, one steal

First half

Without Cotton in the lineup, “Ben 10” took on more of the ball-handling duties and was aggressive with the rock early on. He was looking for shots inside the paint, attacking his defender when he got the opportunity but also finding his teammates. His first points came off a floater from close range after a screen before driving to the cup for his second basket a couple of possessions later.

To add to this, he got his three-point shot going, nailing one from each wing in the first six minutes to showcase his confidence. His ten points in the opening quarter helped set up an eight-point advantage going into the second.

After a quick stint on the bench, he returned to the court and got going where he left off, making a deep top of the key three-point shot after deceiving his defender. One of the many highlights for Henshall in the game came in the seventh minute of the quarter when he drilled a pull-up jump shot from deep to beat the shot clock.

The 195cm athlete’s three-level scoring was on full display, and he even got to the foul-line on a few occasions. A long mid-range jumper capped off an impressive opening half, registering twenty-one points, and giving his team a healthy nine-point lead.

Second half

It was a slower start for the young gun in the third quarter with Illawarra denying him the ball and often pressing up at half court. Still, Henshall found a way to impact the game. He chipped in six assists on the night which included a couple of skip passes across court, and pretty little pocket dimes to his big men. While he only had one basket in the term, it came at an important time.

Faking out his opponent in the last five seconds with a handoff before rattling home a side triple to keep the margin comfortable at the final break.

Entering the last, the Hawks were constantly double-teaming him off screens because of his hot hand, and as a result, he quickly found his shooters beyond the arc. When he did get the opportunity to get his own shot off, he was successful. Getting fouled on a three-point attempt in the third minute to give himself points number 25 and 26.

The hometown talent was also a game-best +12 in his 31 minutes. Ben was relatively quiet in the final five minutes but was still on the court when Perth eventually ran out 113-105 victors. The win sees the Wildcats improve to 4-4 and steady their season heading into Round 8. Their next game will be against the Tasmania JackJumpers at RAC Arena on November 7th.