WINNING form continues to roll in the West as both the Perth Wildcats and Perth Lynx picked up wins over the weekend. 

The Wildcats, having now advanced to second spot on the NBL table, took down the star-studded Adelaide 36ers, while the Lynx bounced back from their defeat at the hands of the Bendigo Spirit to storm home in a comeback victory over the Southside Flyers.

For the Wildcats, it was the first time since Bryce Cotton‘s return from injury in Round Nine that he was not the hero. Kristian Doolittle seized an opportunity to put his side on his back to the tune of 27 points and 10 rebounds. The usually defensive stalwart was extremely efficient on Friday night, making 11 of his 15 attempts from the field and going four for five from the free throw line.

After just eight minutes of action, starting wing Dylan Windler (who was on track for a big offensive night himself) left the court due to an eye injury and did not return. Doolittle stepped up to shoulder the load being missed on that end of the floor.

Cotton was still his dazzling self, contributing 22 points, five rebounds and seven assists in a team-high 34 minutes. Ben Henshall chipped in an important 14 points, as did Elijah Pepper in extended minutes with 11 points and three steals off the bench.

Veteran Jesse Wagstaff was another who saw some more run in this game after the Windler injury and added seven points and four rebounds. Keanu Pinder and Next-Star Izan Almansa combined to post 16 points and 14 rebounds, while David Okwera continues to start for the Wildcats and played a season-high 19 minutes with the important task of defending Adelaide’s talented big men.

For the 36ers, their ‘big three’ all impressed. Montrezl Harrell posted 19 points and nine rebounds, while star guard Kendric Davis scored 31 points and dished out 10 assists. Dejan Vasiljevic nailed five of his 11 attempts from deep to put up 23 points, and Isaac Humphries also got in the action with nine points, eight rebounds and a block.

Adelaide runs a tight rotation currently though due to injury, and with just eight players taking to the court there were not enough contributions across the board to reign in Perth’s bucket getters. Sunday Dech, Jason Cadee and Jarell Martin combined for 21 points from the bench in a total of nearly 60 minutes. 

Perth will close Round 17 on Wednesday night with a vital clash against Melbourne United, who vacated second spot on the ladder for the rising Wildcats after Friday night’s game. Adelaide will travel to Sydney to take on the Kings on Friday evening, as both sides battle to keep their finals hopes alive. 

For the Perth Lynx, it was a case of redemption after losing at the hands of the Bendigo Spirit on Wednesday night. The home side came out looking dejected and lethargic after the loss and allowed Southside to get off to a flyer. The visitors, on the back of a big performance from Naz Hillmon, outscored Perth by double digits in the second term to take a 13-point advantage into the second half. 

The third quarter was a stalemate for the majority, both teams struggling to score before Miela Sowah and Alex Wilson broke the deadlock. Sowah scored six points in the term and Wilson eight, as Perth brought the deficit back to seven points ahead of the final break. 

It was the Amy Atwell show in the final term, the Lynx guard scoring 13 points and knocking down three triples as she single-handedly outscored the Flyers in the last quarter. Perth would end up winning by eight points on the back of Atwell and its 27-12 last period. 

AWilson led all comers with her 27-point explosion, after having dropped 29 points just one game ago. She also grabbed nine rebounds and hit three shots from beyond the arc. Sowah contributed 19 points, while Atwell finished with 16 for the night.

The huge night of stats did not end there, with Anneli Maley hauling in 22 rebounds, as she became the leading rebounder per game for the competition. Maley finished with eight points and five rebounds as well, and Laeticia Amihere was solid with six points, three steals and a block. 

For Southside, Hillmon ended the night with 23 points, nine rebounds and three steals, while Maddison Rocci added 19 points, four assists and five boards. Akiene-Tera Reed and Alice Kunek combined to contribute 25 points, seven assists and 15 rebounds. 

The Flyers shot the ball better on the night, but allowed Perth to score 24 points from turnovers, and grab seven more rebounds. 

The Flyers sit rock-bottom on the WNBL ladder, while Perth remains steadfast in second spot. The Lynx will now travel to the Quaycentre to tackle the Sydney Flames, while Southside are faced with the UC Capitals on Saturday afternoon.