Perth 100 - 84 New Zealand

The Perth Wildcats pulled away in the fourth quarter to claim a 100-84 victory over the New Zealand Breakers. The contest was closely contested through the first three periods, with Perth holding a narrow 70-66 lead heading into the final frame before outscoring New Zealand 30-18 over the closing 10 minutes. Perth's perimeter efficiency and ball control proved to be the difference-maker, allowing the hosts to build a comfortable margin despite New Zealand's strength on the offensive glass.

Dylan Windler paced the Wildcats with 32 points and eight rebounds, shooting 11-of-17 from the floor and 7-of-12 from three-point range without committing a single turnover, well above his season scoring average of 14.5 points per game entering the contest. Elijah Pepper provided efficient secondary scoring with 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting, while veteran Jesse Wagstaff added 13 points and six assists in 17 minutes off the bench with a game-best plus-24. For New Zealand, Sam Mennenga delivered a standout performance with 40 points, 18 rebounds, and five assists on 15-of-26 shooting, heavily exceeding his pre-game averages of 16.6 points and 6.2 rebounds. Mennenga also shot 5-of-8 from beyond the arc after entering the game at 11.1% from distance on the season, though he was charged with seven turnovers. Mojave King chipped in 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting for the Breakers.

The game swung heavily on perimeter shooting and turnover margin. Perth converted 16-of-36 (44.4%) from three-point territory, while New Zealand managed 9-of-28 (32.1%), creating a 21-point advantage from deep for the Wildcats. Perth also protected the ball effectively, committing just 11 turnovers (11.8% turnover rate) compared to New Zealand's 17 (17.4% turnover rate). That discipline compensated for New Zealand's 47-36 rebounding advantage, which featured 21 offensive boards for the visitors. The Breakers were further hindered by their free-throw shooting, making just 11 of 22 (50.0%) from the stripe, whereas Perth shot 8-of-11 (72.7%).

Key Stats

• Sam Mennenga (New Zealand): 40 PTS, 18 REB, 5 AST | 15-26 FG (57.7%), 5-8 3PT, 5-8 FT | 7 TO, 43 efficiency
• Dylan Windler (Perth): 32 PTS, 8 REB, 1 AST | 11-17 FG (64.7%), 7-12 3PT, 3-3 FT | 0 TO, 87.3% TS, +13 plus/minus
• Elijah Pepper (Perth): 25 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST | 11-16 FG (68.8%), 3-6 3PT | +15 plus/minus
• Three-point shooting: Perth shot 44.4% (16-36) from beyond the arc compared to New Zealand's 32.1% (9-28)
• Turnovers and free throws: Perth committed 11 turnovers to New Zealand's 17, while the Breakers shot only 50.0% (11-22) from the free-throw line against Perth's 72.7% (8-11)