JackJumpers take charge to beat Phoenix

The Tasmania JackJumpers dominated the South East Melbourne Phoenix after quarter-time in Wednesday's Ignite Cup by Disney+ clash in Traralgon to get back to winning with the 89-81 victory.

The Phoenix started on fire at Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium putting up 36 points in the first quarter including knocking down five three-pointers to be leading by nine after the first 10 minutes.

The game underwent a dramatic transformation the rest of the way with the JackJumpers taking charge outscoring South East Melbourne 62 points to 45 over the final 30 minutes to score the eight-point win and steady their season at 7-10.

The Phoenix might have had a hot offensive start to the game, but by the end only ended up shooting at 37 per cent overall including 9/38 from three-point territory at 24 per cent.

The smooth moving Bryce Hamilton top-scored for Tasmania with 18 points and nine rebounds with the JackJumpers winning despite only going 4/21 from downtown themselves.

They did go 25/34 at the foul line with captain Will Magnay instrumental in that drawing 10 fouls himself to get the Phoenix bigs in foul trouble, and end up with 12 points and seven rebounds.

Majok Deng also had 12 points and five rebounds, Josh Bannan 12 points, 12 boards and four assists, and Ben Ayre 10 points and three assists as he moved into the starting line-up.

Tyger Campbell came off the bench but took it well and still played 21 minutes for nine points.

Wes Iwundu finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists for South East Melbourne with Angus Glover contributing 13 points, Nathan Sobey 12 points, three rebounds and three assists, and John Brown III 12 points, seven boards and three assists.

Sobey was sizzling to begin for the hosts, draining two long triples to open the game as Phoenix looked to continue the form that saw them beat United 111-86 on Sunday.

But he missed his next six three-point attempts and was 3/11 from the field while Jordan Hunter's foul trouble - he recorded his fifth in the final quarter after just 16 minutes of action - also hurt the hosts.

The Phoenix went cold in the second quarter and, trailing by eight, were made to wait by a malfunctioning shot clock that dragged out a messy term.

It wasn't much prettier in the third quarter but they did claw back to level terms on a Glover triple, only to enter the final term trailing by four.

A Hamilton floater off the glass pushed the lead to 10 points inside the final three minutes and that was enough of a buffer, a Glover triple missing inside the final minute that would have dragged the margin back to two points.

Both teams back up again to play on Saturday with the JackJumpers first up on the road to the Cairns Taipans before the Phoenix are back in Traralgon to host the on-fire New Zealand Breakers.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26 – IGNITE CUP PRESENTED BY DISNEY+

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 81 (Iwundu 17, Glover 13, Sobey 12, Brown III 12)

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 89 (Hamilton 18, Marshall 12, Magnay 12, Bannan 12, Deng 12)

BOX SCORE ‍