MELBOURNE Tigers star Jack Purchase has etched his name in the history books, posting a record-breaking 55 points in the loss to the Eltham Wildcats in the NBL1 South Men’s over the weekend.

Purchase’s total is the most in a single game in NBL1 history, shouldering the offensive load for the Tigers unlike anything seen prior, and showing just how ridiculous his ceiling is on the scoring front, although his team fell painfully short against Eltham.

It was an arm-wrestle of a match, with the margin never getting out of reach for either side at Montmorency Secondary College on Sunday afternoon. The game went down to the wire, with Christopher Arcidiacono nailing a late free throw to put the Tigers in front. However, Samuel Whelan was fouled by Mason Gaze on the final play of the match, and went to the free throw line, nailing all three shots to give his side a two-point triumph at home.

Regardless of the result, it was a magnificent offensive performance from Purchase, who took over the contest and delivered a showing that was deserving of a win.

Eltham Wildcats (87) def. Melbourne Tigers (85)

Jack Purchase – 55 points, six rebounds, one assist, two blocks

The number above may seem unbelievable, but Purchase was truly that damaging with ball in hand, torching the Eltham defence and putting Melbourne on his back and nearly leading his team to victory against an in-form Wildcats side.

Despite having such a big performance, it was a quiet start to the match for the 29-year-old, who had just the one made field goal in the first 10 minutes – a three-pointer – as the Tigers trailed by five points at the first change.

The second quarter was where Purchase began to truly inject himself into the game, as he nailed three triples in a row to turn the game on its head and put Melbourne back into calculations. He completely took over the contest, scoring across all three levels and not being fazed by any defensive pressure, as demonstrated by his turnaround and-one jumpshot.

In the second quarter alone, Purchase had 18 points and four three-pointers as the Tigers clawed their way back into the match to lead by a point at half-time. The guard’s ability to find the bottom of the net was a defining piece of Melbourne’s turnaround and was set to play a big part in the second half.

Purchase continued to be the focal point of the Tigers’ offence in the third quarter, and as both sides traded blows down each end, he was one of the central figures for Melbourne offensively. His presence from behind the arc was vital in keeping his team in the contest, and if the defence pressed too high when he got the ball, he had the capability to score inside and back his opponent down.

A four-point play kickstarted his production in the fourth quarter, and Purchase was just about unstoppable in the final frame. Scoring at all three levels, he was nuclear in the closing minutes of the game and began to find more luck scoring inside than previously, and almost gave his team the lead with just under 30 seconds to play.

Although the result was not ideal for the Tigers, Purchase almost willed them over the line with 22 points in the fourth quarter en route to 55 for the match on 19/30 shooting from the field, 10/17 shooting from behind the arc and 7/8 shooting from the charity stripe. It is the best scoring performance the NBL1 has ever seen, and will be remembered for years to come.