Wildcats Light Up The 'Gong for NYE Win

Sunday, January 1, 2023

Tyler Harvey helped shoot the Illawarra Hawks right back into their New Year's Eve home clash but the Perth Wildcats responded with a 12-0 fourth quarter run which saw them secure the 107-97 victory.

The offence of the Wildcats went into overdrive in the first half on Saturday at the WIN Entertainment Centre. The visitors piled on 61 points to half-time to go into the break leading by 17 with Brady Manek, Bryce Cotton, Corey Webster and TaShawn Thomas combining for 50 of those points.

The Hawks had kept pace in the first quarter before struggling in the second but despite losing Peyton Siva to a shoulder injury, Harvey put up 11 third quarter points to bring them back into the contest.

Two more Harvey three balls in the fourth quarter and at one point scores were level. However, the Wildcats responded including triples from Manek and Webster, and a big dunk from Manek as part of a game breaking 12-0 run.

That set up the 'Cats to eventually win by 10 and improve to 10-8 on the season as the race for a spot in the top six intensifies. The Hawks are now 2-16 having lost the past six.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Brady's getting manic in this final quarter ?<br><br>Catch the final quarter live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel. <a href="https://t.co/Fsi57kP6du">pic.twitter.com/Fsi57kP6du</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1609097475411050496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It was the highest score the Wildcats have put up in #NBL23 with Webster top-scoring with 25 points to go with five rebounds and three assists on 5/6 three-point shooting.

Cotton had another 24 points and six assists, Manek 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Thomas continued his season-best form with 18 points and five boards.

Luke Travers had 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists as well before succumbing to an ankle injury in the third quarter.

Wildcats coach John Rillie saw a lot to like from his team's performance.

"We played a good first 20 minutes, then Illawarra got on a good roll in the third quarter but it was good to see how we responded," Rillie said.

"You can see we've got some players who relish that moment and different guys just stood up at different times. For me it was really pleasing to weather the storm and we got the stops, and then we executed very well on offence."

The Hawks again fought valiantly with Harvey delivering 28 points including 6/14 shooting from beyond the arc. Fellow co-captain Sam Froling added 19 points and 12 rebounds.

Deng Deng finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds, Michael Frazier II 13 points, four boards and two assists against his old side, and Mangok Mathiang 10 points and seven rebounds.

Hawks coach Jacob Jackomas was frustrated that despite scoring 97 points themselves they couldn't come away with a win to close 2022.

"We spoke about how there's going to be a chance with a time in this thing where we can turn this game, and even at half-time we spoke about it," Jackomas said.

"As much as it was a little bit emotional at half-time in regards to players and coaches, which it needed to be today because we were disappointing, we did turn it around. But we have a point in every game where there's either a timeout or massive play and we're just struggling to get that done.

"Yes, the positives are there but we're also speaking in the room about when we can get a victory, which we thought we could today by scoring 97 points, we should get a victory. The positives are there but at the end of the day we know we had a chance to win."

Illawarra's co-captains stepped up to give them the perfect start beginning with a three from Tyler Harvey. Sam Froling then scored his team's next seven points for the Hawks to be on top 9-2.

Corey Webster steadied Perth with a couple of buckets before Luke Travers hit a three but then Michael Frazier II began to warm up against his old team helping the Hawks to the 18-11 lead on the back of collecting 10 of the first 11 rebounds.

The 'Cats worked into it, though, and went into quarter-time having scored 19 of the last 29 points in what was the highest scoring combined quarter of the season with Perth up 30-28.

Brady Manek opened up the second quarter with a long bomb for Perth and when Bryce Cotton and Webster did the same, suddenly the visitors were up double-figures.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Man's-jam Mathiang ??<br><br>Follow the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> action live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel. <a href="https://t.co/LzUmWqk8QO">pic.twitter.com/LzUmWqk8QO</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1609084778162323457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Cotton stretched the lead to 11, TaShawn Thomas pushed it out to 12 and then with the last eight points of the half, the Wildcats went into the break leading 61-44.

It was quite the offensive half from the Wildcats with Manek putting up 14 points, Cotton 13, Webster 12 and Thomas 11 while they shot 56 per cent as a team and knocked down 12/13 from the charity stripe.

Illawarra opened the second half well with a 10-4 run but Perth again responded with triples from Travers and Webster to go back up 17. Then Harvey led the fightback for the Hawks.

He hit a pair of three balls and then scored on a drive and layup in an individual 8-0 run to cut the deficit to nine and John Rillie called for time.

The Hawks kept going leading into three quarter-time with Lachie Dent making the margin six and then Deng nailed another bomb from outside to make it three.

By the end of three, Perth was clinging to that 75-72 advantage but it didn’t last long with another three ball from Harvey tying things up to start the fourth.

The Wildcats did respond and by the time Manek threw down the dunk on the pinpoint pass from Mitch Norton, they were back up six with seven minutes to play.

Webster's fifth triple of the game then pushed Perth back out by nine and Manek's third three then saw that lead out to 12. Cotton made it a 12-0 run to give the 'Cats the 14-point lead and they went on to win by 10 from there.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Manek with the board, Travers with the movement, Thomas with the finish ?<br><br>Perth playing hot potato on offence ?<br><br>Follow the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> action live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel. <a href="https://t.co/CgaCyvRPvC">pic.twitter.com/CgaCyvRPvC</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1609079692031819776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Hawks have a short turnaround to another home game against the Cairns Taipans on Monday night.

The first game of 2023 for the Wildcats will see them remain on the road to play the New Zealand Breakers in New Plymouth on Wednesday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 13

ILLAWARRA HAWKS 97 (Harvey 28, Froling 19, Deng 15)

PERTH WILDCATS 107 (Webster 25, Cotton 24, Manek 23)

BOX SCORE