The Perth Wildcats have reclaimed top spot on the NBL ladder after overcoming Kirk Penney, CJ Bruton and the New Zealand Breakers to record a 76-72 win at Challenge Stadium on Friday night.
Bruton and Penney were both on fire for New Zealand scoring 24 and 27 points respectively, but the Breakers had few other contributors as the Wildcats proved to have too many options to record the four-point win.
Last Saturday the Wildcats thumped the Wollongong Hawks by 34 points at home and this win over New Zealand sees them leapfrog Gold Coast and Townsville to reclaim top spot on the ladder.
Captain Shawn Redhage led the way for the Wildcats with 17 points on the back of 7-of-15 shooting. Stephen Weigh added 15 points and two three-pointers, with Damian Martin adding eight points, Jesse Wagstaff eight and Kevin Lisch seven.
The Breakers were without Tom Abercrombie and were undermanned on the road, but Penney and Bruton did their best. Penney hit 10-of-16 from the field, three from long range and also picked up 10 boards.
Bruton shot 8-of-13 from the field, 5-of-9 from three and had 24 points. Paul Henare also scored eight and had five assists.
The Wildcats got off to a fast start with a 7-2 run and it was then 10-4 after a Drew Williamson three. New Zealand worked its way back into the contest, though, after withstanding a Weigh onslaught for 30 seconds.
He hit one three, then got on the end of a steal to make a dunk and hit a massive three-pointer to put the 'Cats up 24-18. Two straights threes for the Breakers from Bruton and Penney put the visitors on top before Martin Cattalini hit a two to tie scores at 26.
Bruton started the second quarter with a three also to put New Zealand back up by three and they held the lead for much of the period. Bruton again caught fire to end it as well with two threes and a two to give him his 18 points for the half and put his team up 45-42 at the half.
It was a low-scoring third quarter for both teams, but the Breakers did move out to a seven-point lead after yet another three from Bruton with just over three minutes remaining.
The 'Cats hit back, though, with seven of the last eight points for the period to trail by just one at three quarter-time.
The Wildcats continued that momentum into the final quarter and when Kevin Lisch hit a massive three to help him out of his shooting slump with six and-a-half minutes to go, the home side led 65-62.
The 'Cats looked to be in control leading 72-66, but then five quick points to Penney with two minutes to go had scores tied. Weigh then hit a clutch jumper to put Perth back up by that score as the Breakers took a time-out with 26 seconds to go.
The Wildcats were able to force a shot clock violation from the Breakers, then Martin made two free-throws, Ronaldson shot an air ball and the 'Cats got home by four to the delight of the sold out Jungle crowd.
Perth (12-8) get little time to rest as they travel to Adelaide to face the 36ers on Sunday while New Zealand (9-11) have five days to recover before a two-week home stretch with matches against Melbourne and Adelaide in Auckland.
Perth Wildcats 76 (Redhage 17, Weigh 15, Martin 8)
New Zealand Breakers 72 (Penney 27, Bruton 24, Henare 8)
@ Challenge Stadium; 08/01/10. Crowd: 4,400.
