The Perth Wildcats have gone down in the opening game of a back-to-back Queensland double this weekend with the Gold Coast Blaze recording a 107-92 victory at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre tonight.
The Wildcats started the game strongly on the Gold Coast leading 8-5 early and then still 26-23 at quarter-time, but the Blaze took control with a 9-0 run to start the second quarter and never looked back running out 15-point victors.
The 'Cats don't have time to let the disappointment of the second loss of the season get them down, though, with the team flying to Cairns in the morning to take on the Taipans tomorrow evening. Like tonight's game, that will be broadcast live on 91.3 SportFM (www.sportfm.com.au).
Centre Luke Nevill top-scored for the Wildcats against the Blaze with 22 points while also pulling in seven rebounds. Fellow big man Matt Knight also scored 18 points.
NBL Player of the Month for October Kevin Lisch continued his good form with 19 points as well while Brad Robbins scored 11, Shawn Redhage 10, Drew Williamson four, Everard Bartlett four, Jesse Wagstaff three and Cam Tovey one (as well as 10 rebounds).
Wildcats assistant coach Shawn Dennis after the match was far from impressed with the way the 'Cats played Gold Coast, and especially in the half-court defence that for the second game in three weeks coughed up at least 100 points and more than 50 per cent from the field.
"We know that Gold Coast is an unpredictable team and they did a good job at niggling us, and putting us out of our game," Dennis said.
"We spoke during the week and even today about how we needed our defensive systems to stand up because of their unpredictability, but again it just showed up that we have a lot to work on especially in our half-court defence. We broke down again and we just can't keep doing that.
"There's no doubt that Adelaide got into us physically and now Gold Coast has as well. We need to firmly plant our two feet down and show that we are not going to let that happen. We need people stepping forward to make a statement."
Mark Worthington hit four three-pointers on his way to 22 points for Gold Coast with Adris Deleon nailing 21 (and eight assists) and Anthony Petrie 19.
Knight was on fire early on in the first quarter for the Wildcats helping the visitors open up an 8-5 advantage, before his former Sydney Spirit teammate Petrie caught fire with seven of Gold Coast's next nine points.
However, the 'Cats finished the opening period strongly with Lisch nailing four points, Nevill a three-point play after a good drive and dish from Bartlett, and then Williamson nailed a two to help the Wildcats lead 26-23 after one.
The Blaze then caught fire to open the second quarter going on a 9-0 to lead by six before Knight eventually got the Wildcats on the board for the period.
Four quick points to Redhage kept the Wildcats in touch, but three-pointers to Petrie and Deleon stretched the Blaze's advantage to as much as 14 midway through the quarter. However, eight points late in the piece to Nevill saw the 'Cats trail by just six at the main break.
A big three to Knight gave the Wildcats the perfect start to the second half and it made the margin just three points, but shortly after a Worthington three-pointer the Blaze were back up by 12.
A Lisch three, Wagstaff three-point play and Nevill dunk soon had the 'Cats within just seven points again, but Gold Coast had all the answers and three-point bombs to Chris Goulding, Jason Cadee and Petrie had the home team up by 13 at three quarter-time.
Gold Coast's lead did stretch to as much as 22 during the last quarter as well, but the Wildcats ended up going down by 15 with Nevill, Bartlett and Robbins scoring some late baskets.
The Wildcats are now expecting more of the same in Cairns tomorrow night, and Dennis knows that the 'Cats players have to stand up.
"We absolutely are excepting the same sort of reception up in Cairns," Dennis said.
"They will come out to physically challenge us, no doubt, and we have to accept that, deal with it and then respond to it. We cannot back down from anything and we have to stand our ground, and make a real statement."
Perth Wildcats 92 (Luke Nevill 22, Kevin Lisch 19, Matt Knight 18)
defeated by
Gold Coast Blaze 107 (Mark Worthington 22, Adris Deleon 21, Anthony Petrie 19)
Box scores
