Breakers lose to Wildcats hot shooting in Perth
The Breakers put on a fighting display but were ultimately undone by a superb Wildcats shooting performance and fourth quarter surge as they were defeated for the second time this season by Perth, going down 84-100.
Sam Mennenga was outstanding with a career high 40 points, 18 rebounds and 5 assists as he did all he could to keep the undermanned Breakers in touch.
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At halftime Mennenga had 25 points and 11 rebounds against the Wildcats who were playing their fifth consecutive home game to start their NBL27 campaign.
Carlin Davison showed his versatility, playing with huge commitment at both ends of the floor and dishing out a career high 11 assists as he took on much of the ball handling duties in the absence of the injured Parker Jackson-Cartwright.
Mojave King made 17 points on 7 of 11 shooting, DJ Vasiljevic had 10 points, Reuben Te Rangi provided 9 points and 7 rebounds from the bench, and Charles Bediako 7 points.
The hustle was there from a brave Breakers outfit, outrebounding Perth 47-36 and fighting hard at the defensive end, but accuracy let them down when shooting from beyond the arc, shooting the three at 32%.
The Wildcats got hot from deep, especially in the final quarter when a run of three triples midway through the final term blew out the scoreline and had the home crowd on their feet. They finished up shooting the three at 44%, many of their makes at crucial moments.
The Breakers who were missing Parker Jackson-Cartwright through inju drop to 3 wins and 3 losses and now move on to Canberra to play unbeaten Sydney in an Ignite Cup game on Wednesday night and round out their latest road trip with a visit to another hot side in Tasmania on Sunday 18th.
Perth Wildcats 100
Dylan Windler – 32 points, 8 rebounds, 7/12 3PT; Elijah Pepper – 25 points, 3 rebounds, 3/6 3PT; Jesse Wagstaff – 13 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds; Anthony Dell'Orso – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals; Brandon Knight – 6 rebounds, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
BNZ Breakers 84
Sam Mennenga – 40 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists, 5/8 3PT; Mojave King – 17 points, 2 rebounds; DJ Vasiljevic – 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists; Reuben Te Rangi – 9 points, 7 rebounds; Carlin Davison – 1 point, 11 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks
