BOTH WEST Australian sides will seek wins on the road on Wednesday as the Perth Wildcats tackle the Brisbane Bullets, and the Perth Lynx face the ladder leading Bendigo Spirit.

For the Wildcats, winners of seven of their last nine games, it is an important chance to remain in the hunt of the top two, while Bryce Cotton gets another opportunity to continue his outstanding season that has seen him average over 28 points per game in full matches. The MVP frontrunner has scored 40 or more points in five of their last eight games, plus 32 and 9 assists through just three quarters in their most recent outing. 

Cotton’s form has made Perth entirely un-guardable and has created open shots for his teammates when the defence shifts to him, allowing the likes of Dylan Windler, Kristian Doolittle, Ben Henshall and Keanu Pinder to capitalise on some fantastic spacing.

Against Brisbane, a team which plays tall through big men Josh Bannan, Tyrell Harrison (who is expected to return from concussion symptoms), and Next-Star Rocco Zikarsky, the spacing will be vital in dragging those big bodies out of the paint and allowing other Wildcats players to attack the rim.

Zikarsky is a game-time decision for the Wildcats clash. The load on Bannan would increase significantly both on offence and defence is Harrison and Zikarsky were to be unavailable. Former Wildcat Mitch Norton is likely to get the Cotton job early on.

On the flip side, Brisbane has its own offensive juggernaut that has been challenging for teams to guard over the last month. Casey Prather has led the Bullets in scoring in nine of their last 12 matchups and has returned to being one of the most dynamic scoring guard/wings in the NBL.

Kristian Doolittle will likely get the assignment of shutting down Prather, but whether he is inserted back into the starting line-up remains to be seen. During Doolittle’s absence with a groin injury it was David Okwera who started for John’s Rillie’s side, but recently he has played less minutes than any other Wildcat. Starting Doolittle may seem rushed in just his second game back from an extended absence, but allowing Prather to get off the chain early could spell trouble for the visiting side. 

Bannan has also been in fine offensive form of late, posting 23 points and nine rebounds against SEM Phoenix in their opening Round 16 game. Izan Almansa and Pinder will likely take shifts guarding the young gun and trying to prevent him from using his size and shiftiness to his advantage. 

Though the Bullets’ record reflects poorly, they play much better than the ladder suggests, and this will be no cakewalk for the flaming Wildcats, and could be a string indicator as to whether they are truly ready to compete with the other top sides in the league.

For the Lynx, Wednesday evening will play host to one of the most exhilarating matchups all season. The Spirit, 13-2 for the year and first place on the WNBL table, snuck home over the Lynx in their first matchup by six points. While Perth exacted its revenge on return by just three points in a thriller, a win for the Spirit here would go a long way towards securing the minor championship.

On the other hand, if the Lynx take the chocolates the sides will be tied for the best record in the league. Interestingly, both times the away side has come out victorious, but this won’t figure into the either side’s thinking, both knowing how vital this game is. 

Bendigo and MVP favourite Sami Whitcomb have won four straight games, while the Lynx made it six on the trot against Geelong United on Sunday. A winning streak will be broken here in what projects to be a likely Grand Final preview. 

Perth’s defence will be relied on in this one, as Bendigo has been shooting the lights out in recent performances. No one player has stood out above the rest recently either. Whitcomb led the way to begin the season but her teammates have stepped up and Veronica Burton, Casey Samuels, Kelsey Griffin and Marianna Tolo have all taken turns scoring the ball at will through this middle patch of the season. 

Perth has also gotten solid output from a number of players of late, Miela Sowah, Amy Atwell, Anneli Maley and Laeticia Amihere all getting in on the act.

The two sides are numbers one and two in points per game, while Bendigo also leads the competition in three-point percentage and field goal percentage. Perth leads all teams in rebounds per game.

With two sides dominant in multiple areas of the game, it will be a fascinating contest that is sure to live up to the hype.