A BLISTERING shooting performance from big man Keanu Pinder helped the Perth Wildcats to an eight-point win over the Tasmania JackJumpers in game one of their semi-final series at RAC Arena on Friday night.

With many of his teammates struggling to make an impact on the offensive end, Pinder was the difference, knocking down timely shots on a consistent basis to help the Wildcats take a 1-0 lead and the momentum down to Tasmania for game two.

The JackJumpers produced an impressive run in the fourth quarter after trailing all game, leading by six points at one stage and forcing John Rillie to make adjustments in a timeout.

The gameplan worked, with Pinder knocking down his fourth and fifth three-pointers of the night to deliver the most productive night of his career from behind the arc and steer the Wildcats to a tough victory.

He finished the game with 25 points and seven rebounds, with a highlight coming in the form of a massive one-handed dunk over Tasmania’s Marcus Lee. Pinder’s MVP teammate Bryce Cotton was restricted to just 15 points, but the big man picked up the slack and delivered a match-winning performance on the big stage.

It was a physical contest, with the pace of the game slowed down by the volume of fouls called as both sides looked to defend at all costs. A total of 19 fouls were called in the first quarter alone, before proceedings opened up in the second term. Cotton and Milton Doyle overcame slow starts to hit big shots for their respective sides on the eve of halftime, with Perth leading by three points at the main break.

The third quarter saw even more tightly contested action, with shots seemingly always answered down the the other end in a tense affair. Perth led by four points at the final change, but would need to keep Tasmania at arm’s length for another 10 minutes.

The JackJumpers stormed out of the gates to start the fourth term, with back to back triples from Jack McVeigh helping them to a six-point lead. However, the Wildcats went on a 15-4 run to snatch back the lead in emphatic fashion, sealing the match at the free throw line.

Perth went an impressive 29/32 from the free throw line, showing composure and calmness down the stretch when some shots from the charity stripe were crucial in the context of the scoreboard. In contrast, Tasmania left seven points at the free throw line, and will be left to rue some poor offensive possessions down the stretch.

Game two will take place at MyState Bank Arena on Monday night at 7:30pm AEDT.