Edwards o-boards key as United beat Wildcats

It had all the intensity of a playoff match up and the last NBL game before the FIBA break saw Melbourne United will themselves with Jesse Edwards massive on the offensive glass for the 98-87 win over the Perth Wildcats.

It was a game at John Cain Arena on Sunday where neither could open up a double-figure advantage until Melbourne's final 11-point winning margin, but the extra possessions created by Edwards' eight offensive rebounds and United having 19-9 was crucial.

It was the first meeting of NBL26 for two teams who played in a dramatic playoff series last season and both were coming off Friday wins with Perth winning at home over the Tasmania JackJumpers and Melbourne away to the Illawarra Hawks.

Until the last seconds, no more than eight points ever separated the teams which was four minutes into the game when Melbourne completed an 8-0 run to be leading 14-6.

That lead was 24-22 by quarter-time and 51-47 at the half even with captain Chris Goulding missing all seven three-point attempts.

It continued to be a physical and tense battle with Melbourne back out to a six-point lead with 4:35 to play when Goulding made his first three-pointer of the game after missing his first eight tries.

Perth wouldn't go away, but it was a huge three from Tyson Walker with 27.5 seconds left that pushed United to the seven-point lead and they completed the 11-point win to go into the break clear in top spot at 13-2.

Melbourne ended up taking 20 extra field goals even though the Wildcats took 30 foul shots to 20.

Milton Doyle produced 24 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals in the win with his four threes making him the only player in the game to hit multiple outside shots.

Walker also had 23 points and seven assists despite an ankle complaint with Edwards finishing with 11 points and 16 rebounds, Goulding 11 points on 4/15 shooting with 1/11 from deep, and Finn Delany 11 points.

The Wildcats are 8-6 following the loss which saw Jo Lual-Acuil Jr finish with 19 points in his first game against his former club with Kristian Doolittle top-scoring with 20 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, and Dylan Windler 17 points and seven boards.

Melbourne made the first break in the game going on an 8-0 scoring run in the first quarter to be leading 14-6 but Kristian Doolittle responded with the next five points for the Wildcats.

Things remained tight heading to quarter-time with Melbourne clinging to the 24-22 advantage and then former United big man Jo Lual-Acuil Jr began to warm to the task early in the second term for Perth including a three-point bomb.

He ended up having 11 points in the first half while Dylan Windler had 12 for the Wildcats but Milton Doyle had 12 for Melbourne and Tyson Walker 10 for the home team to be clinging to the 51-47 lead despite going 4/18 from deep and Chris Goulding 0/7.

It remained a tight and tense battle through the third quarter and there was a scare for both teams with an ankle for Tyson Walker and corked calf for Kristian Doolittle, but things stayed close and Melbourne clung to the 74-73 advantage at three quarter-time.

It remained a neck and neck affair with Melbourne leading two heading into the last two minutes, but Perth wouldn’t score again and an offensive rebound again from Edwards led to a crucial Kyle Bowen layup.

Ultimately Walker's three-point make with 27.5 seconds left sealed the deal with Melbourne scoring the game's last nine points to win by 11.

Both teams now head into the FIBA break with both teams resuming against one another on Thursday December 4 with that clash at Perth's RAC Arena.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26

MELBOURNE UNITED 98 (Doyle 24, Walker 23, Goulding 11, Edwards 11, Delany 11)

PERTH WILDCATS 87 (Doolittle 20, Lual-Acuil Jr 19, Windler 17)

BOX SCORE