Wildcats: "We Need to Wake Up"

Perth’s defence is one again in the spotlight after Sunday’s loss to Tasmania, as the Wildcats once again conceded over 100 points in a high-scoring defeat.

Despite scoring 94 points of their own – with all five starters hitting double-digits in the scoring column – Milton Doyle, Jack McVeigh and Rashard Kelly all turned on the afterburners in the final quarter to lead the JackJumpers to a welcome victory.

The loss has left the Wildcats teetering on the edge in the finals race. Despite currently sitting fifth their final two games come against Cairns and Sydney – and two more losses could see them out of the post-season picture should other results go against them.

Perth guard Mitch Norton says to improve its offence even more, his side needs to lock into the defensive side of the ball.

“I think it was the second quarter we really turned the screws on defence and that got us back into the game and saw momentum swing in our favour,” Norton said post-game

“We’re a great offensive team, but for us to be excellent offensively we need to get it off the rim instead of taking it out and inbounding the ball.

“We showed patches of it, but to be a really good team we need to show 40 minutes of it.

“The things we’re talking about aren’t new, so that’s something us as a group we need to wake up and realise the points ‘JR’ (John Rillie) and the coaching group make time and time again.

“We’re capable which is the most frustrating thing … these last two games are huge for us and we need 40 minute performances.”

The Wildcats struck out to a nine-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but the JackJumpers systematically pegged them back to hit the front with three minutes remaining.

They held the lead for the rest of the game and ran out as eventual eight-point winners.

Perth head coach John Rillie says he was disappointed at the pace with which his side saw out the game.

“We probably had an eye on the scoreboard or the clock as opposed to the pace we played to get that lead,” he said. “We just bogged down a little bit rather than moving the ball and taking opportunities that came our way.

“You have to move these guys around – they’re a great team defence. You have to move them around so you can attack them in different ways, that was the reason we had a nine-point lead.

“The way I want to play, you’ve got a six or nine-point lead and you’re looking to get it to 11, then 13. We’re not just looking to have an eye on the clock hoping that it works for us.

“I feel like we let them dictate the pace of the game for the last three or four minutes.”

After his heroic 40-point performance in Perth’s Friday night win over Illawarra, the pressure was once again on Bryce Cotton to lead his team to victory like he’s done so many times over the years.

The MVP nominee played over 39 minutes for the game and finished with 17 points and three assists, but his side couldn’t get the job done.

Since Rillie made the decision to shorten his side’s rotation the Wildcats have looked a far more threatening side. The reverse of that is far more physical pressure has been placed on the starting five – including Cotton.

Rillie was blunt in his response when asked about his star guard’s minutes load.

“When you play in a game like we just played in are you going to put the opportunity in someone else’s hands?”

The Wildcats next take on Cairns on Friday, February 3 at 9:30pm AEDT.