DESPITE trailing by 17 points in the first quarter, the Perth Wildcats were able to recover and defeat the Tasmania JackJumpers in enemy territory in the National Basketball League (NBL) Ignite Cup action last night.

The JackJumpers hosted the Wildcats at MyState Bank Arena on Wednesday night, and soared out to a double-digit lead in the opening frame. However, the Wildcats went to work after the first change, taking all of the air out of the arena and dragging themselves back in the game.

In a contest that went down to the wire, the Wildcats scored the last seven points of the match to overcome a late challenge from Bryce Hamilton and the JackJumpers, claiming an 11-point win in impressive fashion on the road.

Tasmania JackJumpers (84) def. by Perth Wildcats (95)

The JackJumpers continued their tremendous form from the final quarter of last week’s comeback win over the Sydney Kings with a blistering start against the Wildcats, opening up a 19-5 lead in the opening minutes of the game. Tasmania was shooting over 70 per cent for most of the first frame, and led by 12 points at quarter time in a 10-minute period that ignited MyState Bank Arena.

Perth coach John Rillie fired up his team at the break, as the Wildcats came out of quarter time firing to score the first 11 points of the second frame to storm back into the match. Suddenly, the JackJumpers were under pressure and were clinging on to a four-point lead at the main change as all their hard work from the first quarter had vanished on the scoreboard.

Things went from bad to worse for the JackJumpers, with center Will Magnay leaving the match with a leg injury, leaving a huge hole in the front court for the home side. This was vital to the match given the scoring power of Jo Lual-Acuil for the Wildcats, and the Perth big man started to take over from that point on, and it was the visitors who held a four-point lead at the final change, largely due to their work on the offensive glass, which was creating plenty of second chance scoring opportunities.

The JackJumpers made a few charges throughout the fourth quarter, with import Hamilton leading the way with some impressive shotmaking. Tasmania got within four points late, but the Wildcats regained control from there, scoring the final seven points of the match to silence the crowd in Hobart and walk away with a double-digit win.

Lual-Acuil proved to be the difference for the Wildcats, with the seven-footer taking full advantage of the JackJumpers losing their defensive anchor in the second half. He finished with 23 points, six rebounds and three assists on 10/21 shooting from the field. It was overall a terrific team performance from the victors in the end, with all five starts scoring 10+ points on the road.

Hamilton was the star of the show for the JackJumpers, posting a game-high 25 points on an efficient 11/15 shooting from the field as he tried to will his team over the line, particularly in the last quarter when the Wildcats were looking to run away with it.

The Wildcats will remain on the road for the remainder of the round with their next clash slated for John Cain Arena when they take on the SEM Phoenix on Sunday, while the JackJumpers will stay in Tasmania as they host the Cairns Taipans at the Silverdome on Saturday.