The Perth Wildcats have consolidated top spot on the NBL ladder with an 86-61 win over the Cairns Taipans at Challenge Stadium on Saturday night in a game that became heated in the final quarter and saw three players ejected.
The game fired up midway through the final quarter with the result virtually decided when Perth's Galen Young took exception to Cairns' Tony Rampton pushing Jesse Wagstaff.
Young charged towards Rampton and then it escalated with players from both sides getting involved. Once it all settled, Rampton and Young were ejected from the game, and soon after so was Cairns' best player for the night, Rich Melzer.
The 25-point win takes the Wildcats to a 14-8 record to remain ahead of the Gold Coast Blaze and the Townsville Crocodiles, but the loss leaves Cairns at 9-15 and last on the table with no chance any longer of making post-season action.
Brad Robbins didn’t play for Perth due to a hip injury, but Luke Schenscher (neck) and Martin Cattalini (illness) did despite being under a cloud leading into the game.
Schenscher certainly made his presence felt for the 'Cats as well with one of his better all-round performances of the season. The big man finished with 14 points, four rebounds and three blocks, but more impressive than his numbers was how he went about his performance.
Behind him it was an even Perth performance with Damian Martin scoring 12 points and collecting 11 rebounds, Shawn Redhage had 12 points, Wagstaff 11, Kevin Lisch nine, Stephen Weigh eight and Cattalini seven.
Cairns regained Ian Crosswhite from a wrist injury after Wednesday's loss in Adelaide, but still struggled to create much offense outside of Melzer and Dusty Rychart.
Melzer put the Taipans on his back with 15 points in a massive third quarter including an impressive three. He finished the game with 19 and nine rebounds before his ejection.
He had good support down low from Rychart with the veteran scoring 14 points and picking up seven boards. The rest of the Snakes generally struggled, though, with nobody else scoring more than Gary Boodnikoff's seven points.
The 'Cats started strongly with the first four points, but Cairns then hit seven straight to take the lead. Perth asserted its control for the rest of the first quarter scoring 14 of the last 20 points to lead 18-13 at quarter-time.
It was then a generally even, yet uninspiring, second quarter with both teams struggling to shoot. Combined they shot 25-of-64 from the field and 2-of-17 from three. Perth still led 38-29 to be in control at the long break though.
Melzer fired up in the third quarter for Cairns and did his best to keep his side in the contest, but it was all to no avail with Schenscher playing well inside for the Wildcats and some shots dropping from the outside finally with Martin, Cattalini, Weigh and Lisch all hitting threes.
Perth's lead was out to 15 by three quarter-time and went beyond 20 soon after the melee brought things to life inside The Jungle. The Wildcats dominated the remaining minutes to secure the 25-point win.
The Wildcats (14-8) now face an intriguing finish to the season with three games against the surging Melbourne Tigers, two of which are at The Cage, as well as a season-ending home game against the Crocs and road clashes with the Blaze and Taipans.
The Taipans (9-15) have just four games to go this season starting with home clashes against Townsville and Perth, a road game with Townsville and then to end the season at home to New Zealand.
Perth Wildcats 86 (Schenscher 14, Redhage 12, Martin 12)
Cairns Taipans 61 (Melzer 19, Rychart 14, Boodnikoff 7)
@ Challenge Stadium; 16/01/10. Crowd: 4,400
