Wildcats overcome Doyle's 30 piece

Milton Doyle and the Tasmania JackJumpers shot themselves out of their NBL scoring woes, but it wasn’t quite enough at RAC Arena on Thursday night with the Perth Wildcats prevailing 88-82.

The JackJumpers put up 51 points in the first half and Doyle ended the night with 30 points and four assists with 6/12 long-range shooting, but it wasn’t quite enough for the reigning champs.

Tasmania were averaging a league-low 76.6 points this season and arrived fresh off a franchise record 60 in a 28-point loss in Sydney to the Kings.

The Wildcats were also looking to hit back from a 24-point loss to the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Sunday, and both teams put on a shooting spectacle in the first half.

Doyle and Jordon Crawford combined to shoot 1/25 from three-point range in the two games for Tasmania last weekend, but they went 8/13 in the first half alone.

Doyle hit six of those for 20 points to half-time where Tasmania scored 51 points which was just nine off what they scored on Sunday for the entire game, and only 25 off their season average.

However, Perth was shooting impressively too as the two teams combined to go 21/39 from long range in the first half.

Elijah Pepper (14 points) helped Perth to a seven-point lead to start the second half but the JackJumpers kept responding to every challenge even after Todd Withers (12 points, 4/4 from deep) made his fourth three-pointer with just under five to play.

Tasmania were down seven but Doyle scored eight straight points himself to put his team back in front only for the momentum to swing back Perth's way for good.

Seven straight points from Keanu Pinder (13 points, seven rebounds), Pepper, Tai Webster (14 points, six assists) and Kristian Doolittle (18 points, 12 boards) delivered the 'Cats the eventual six-point win to improve to 5-5.

Wildcats coach John Rillie liked the fight from his team to grind it out.

"I was most happy with just how we stuck with it for the 40 minutes," he said.

"The first half was a very free-flowing style of game and then all of a sudden the second half became a different style, a grind it out game.

"We stuck with it and obviously were a lot more disciplined in containing their shooters so that really helped us, but when we win games we have multiple guys making winning plays and it was a nice little cameo by Withers."

The JackJumpers might have lost three straight now to be 3-8 but will take heart from the performance especially again missing Olympian Will Magnay with a shoulder injury.

Crawford finished with 14 points and four assists while Anthony Drmic added 11 points and four rebounds, and 340-game veteran Reuben Te Rangi eight points and eight boards.

JackJumpers coach Scott Roth was happy with the better performance, but not the result.

"We had really good fight right across the board and it was just timely plays down the last two or three minutes where we couldn’t execute," he said.

"All those little things add up and they made those plays down the stretch, which obviously got them across the line."

It was a hot start from the JackJumpers as they raced to a 13-9 lead on the back of a pair of three balls to captain Clint Steindl and one apiece to Milton Doyle and Reuben Te Rangi.

Kristian Doolittle responded with eight straight points for the Wildcats before threes for Tasmania from Doyle and Anthony Drmic had the visitors up six but it was 27-27 by quarter-time thanks to late triples for Perth from Todd Withers and Elijah Pepper.

Jordon Crawford opened the second period with a pair of long-range bombs as well to restore the JackJumpers to the lead before it was all Doyle the rest of the way.

The Tasmania star hit four three-pointers to close out the half on his way to 20 first half points with six long balls for the JackJumpers to lead 51-47 with 13/22 from deep as a team.

The Wildcats were just four down with 8/17 three-point shooting themselves before the home team opened up the third term with the first eight points all courtesy of Pepper.

The 'Cats got out to an eight-point lead with Withers draining his third three of the night, but the JackJumpers hit back with a 9-2 run to be just three down by three quarter-time.

Tasmania then scored the first four points of the final period to retake the lead before the 'Cats took back charge and were up seven with 4:45 to play after a fourth three ball to Withers.

The JackJumpers fired back with the next eight points over the next two minutes and they all came courtesy of Doyle to put them up one with just under three minutes on the clock.

The Wildcats ended up scoring the last seven points of the game take the momentum for good for the eventual six-point home victory.

Both teams now have quick turnarounds to playing on Saturday with the JackJumpers first up to host the league-leading New Zealand Breakers before the Wildcats are away to Melbourne United.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2024/25

PERTH WILDCATS 88 (Doolittle 18, Pepper 14, Webster 14)

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 82 (Doyle 30, Crawford 14, Drmic 11)

BOX SCORE