Phoenix stuck in ‘mud’ as JackJumpers find form
Murray Wenzel |
The Tasmania JackJumpers have applied the brakes to a fast-starting South East Melbourne to notch just the second win from their last nine starts.
The JackJumpers trailed by nine at quarter time but strangled the Phoenix after that, Bryce Hamilton (18 points, nine rebounds) and Josh Bannan (12 points, 13 rebounds, four assists) integral in Wednesday’s 89-81 win in Traralgon.
Tighter defence and just eight JackJumpers turnovers ensured Phoenix, the league’s high-scoring offence, weren’t able to turn and run like they’ve done so successfully in recent weeks.
“I’m happy we ticked some boxes (defensively) … that’s going to lead us to better places,” coach Scott Roth said.
“This game got in the mud, which is where we love to play. The guys were pretty relentless.”
The result saw Phoenix fall to 10-6 while Roth’s side improved to 7-10 in the in-season Ignite Cup clash.
Nathan Sobey (14 points) 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 three-of-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.
Nick Marshall hit three timely triples for the JackJumpers and, like Will Magnay, finished with 12 points and seven rebounds as the visitors shared the load.
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 pegging on an Angus 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.
Wes Iwundu (17 points, eight rebounds, four assists) top-scored for Phoenix.
Phoenix coach Josh King felt his team had been distracted by the officiating that left him challenging, often successfully, a string of charge calls in the first half.
And he said Roth’s switching, nagging defence had indeed left them “playing in the mud” in the second quarter, before their better looks didn’t fall in the second half.
“We can’t let calls, good or bad, frustrate us,” he said.
“We got off to a good start, let them back into it in the second … played pretty well in the second half in patches.
“We made a good push, but every time we came close they’d hit a big basket.”
AAP
