LAST night’s National Basketball League clash between the SEM Phoenix and Tasmania JackJumpers produced a thrilling matchup, as the underdog JackJumpers were able to cause an upset against the third-placed contenders, 89-81. Whilst the Phoenix started the first quarter on fire, they lost their spark in the second and were unable to bring it back for the rest of the game. 

Nathan Sobey set the tone in the first, hitting two big threes from way beyond the arc and from there, South East Melbourne played to offensive perfection for the rest of the quarter with everybody seeming to catch fire. 

In saying that, the second quarter saw the Phoenix struggle offensively scoring just 12 compared to their 37 in the first, which left them behind 52-48 by halftime. The second half saw both teams were seemingly even, but the home side weren’t able to bring their spark back and the JackJumpers’ consistent play got them the win.

With important players Owen Foxwell and Malique Lewis being out due to injuries, the Phoenix obviously needed players to fill the roles that the two play and in that first quarter they seemed to be perfectly fine, but they eventually broke down and allowed Tasmania to create a lead.

Phoenix’s newest import Wes Iwundu played one of his best games in his short NBL career, scoring 17 and pulling down eight rebounds, which was the best performance from any Phoenix player for the game. The most crucial scorer for the Phoenix, Sobey was unable to efficiently score the ball, scoring 12 but shooting just 27 per cent from the field and was not able to maintain his first quarter flow, which was a major problem for the club as they regularly rely on him to get a bucket when needed.

Jordan Hunter was not able to keep himself in the game as he fouled out after 16 minutes, posting six points and eight boards on 33 per cent field goal percentage. It was definitely a tough game for Phoenix and one that we haven’t seen from them in a while, with their weak spots being exposed.

Tasmania had six players score above 10 points, as MVP contender Bryce Hamilton led the way with a solid 18-point, nine-rebound performance, but multiple players were able back him up and all pitch in to cause an upset. Coming off a loss to the New Zealand Breakers, Tasmania was eager to bounce back and they did just that. The JackJumpers have shown to be a capable opposition to top teams, but up and down form and injuries to Will Magnay and Anthony Drmic have been no help thus why they have had a rough road so far. 

The JackJumpers will play again this weekend against the struggling Cairns Taipans, who have been poor so far sitting in last place with a 4-12 record, and another win will help Tasmania get into a much needed rhythm for this second half of the season where it hopes to play finals basketball. The Phoenix will also play on Saturday facing the Breakers, who started off questionable but have gained momentum and look to break into the top five.