Wildcats purr after slow start to topple JackJumpers

Ethan James | October 29, 2025

Perth have rebounded from a sloppy start to earn an 11-point NBL win over Tasmania, who have been left sweating on the health of captain Will Magnay.

Magnay, who has had a history of injury problems, left the court in the third quarter at Hobart’s MyState Bank Arena on Wednesday night after seemingly hurting his leg.

It compounded the pain for Tasmania – the Wildcats running out 95-84 victors despite trailing by 17 points in the first quarter and not hitting the lead until midway through the third.

Perth’s Jo Lual-Acuil Jr finished with a team-high 23 points as well as six rebounds and teammate Elijah Pepper picked up 19 points.

Lual-Acuil Jr ended the game strongly, capitalising on fellow big man Magnay’s absence, while Jaron Rillie scored some clutch points when the game was tight at the death.

Tasmania coach Scott Roth was coy on Magnay’s situation post-game, ahead of Saturday’s clash against Cairns in Launceston.

“I have no update on him,” he said.

The JackJumpers’ American import Bryce Hamilton finished with 26 points and kept his side in the contest with a number of big plays in the final quarter. 

Perth outpointed Tasmania in the offensive rebound stakes 15-7 for their fifth win of the season, which came off the back of a heartbreaking 85-84 loss to the Illawarra Hawks.

“It was about us sticking with it and persevering,” Wildcats coach John Rillie said.

“We seized the momentum after that first quarter, really happy with how we played and attacked the game.”

The JackJumpers, now 5-4 for the season, began on fire and opened up a 17-point advantage in the opening quarter before taking a 28-16 lead into the first break.

Tasmania’s Majok Deng had nine points for the term off the bench against a Perth outfit that coughed up the ball several times.

Momentum flipped early in the second, with the Wildcats picking up 11 points in a row to claw back the margin.

Perth took the lead in the third quarter courtesy of a hot run of three pointers from Pepper.

Roth suggested his team may have been flat coming off an unlikely come-from-behind road victory over Sydney.

“Coming to another game back home, you take a breath. But … Perth played very well and we didn’t play up to par,” he said.