Pinder, Harris lead Perth to big win over 36ers
19 Sep
1
min read


The home-grown recruit, who took another significant step forward after an injury-interrupted off-season, starred at both ends of the court in the Wildcats' 112-80 NBL Blitz win over Adelaide 36ers on Tuesday evening.
Pinder finished with 17 points, including 11 in the first quarter, to go with four rebounds as Perth made it two wins from as many starts in the pre-season tournament ahead of their finale against New Zealand on Thursday.
Head coach John Rillie was desperate to avoid any lapses like Sunday's hard-fought win over Cairns and he would've been pleased with what he saw as the Wildcats led comfortably at every chance and didn't take their foot off the gas.
Development player Michael Harris made the most of his increased minutes, amassing 18 points, 12 of which were scored in a hot second term, while WA-bred young gun Ben Henshall (17) had some magic moments.
Perth set the tone for a massive opening quarter with a stunning 11-0 run to start the match.
Pinder reached double digits well before the 36ers side combined as the Wildcats took a commanding 37-11 lead into quarter-time.
Adelaide were much more competitive in the second term before sharpshooter Harris caught fire, nailing three triples including two in a row to make it 63-39 at the main break.
That 24-point advantage remained at three-quarter time before Rillie began to rest his starters and give court time to the youngsters including development player Dontae Russo-Nance and fellow newcomer David Okwera.
The Wildcats' season opener is against Tasmania at RAC Arena on September 29 with tickets available via Ticketek.
Check out the picture gallery from Tuesday's win over Adelaide here

26 Nov
Hayes-Brown introduces himself in final pre-season battle

26 Nov
Introducing the Perth Wildcats App and Wildcats Live

24 Nov
Undermanned Wildcats make light work of JackJumpers

23 Nov
Frazier, Purchase to miss remainder of Blitz

21 Nov
Wildcats claim first pre-season dub

19 Nov
Wildcats fall in high-scoring warmup clash

18 Nov
Wagstaff to captain Wildcats again in 2021/22

18 Nov
Majok's emotional return from injury

16 Nov
Morrison finds positives in pre-season opener

16 Nov
Scott Morrison to "Coach the Coaches" with free clinic

15 Nov
Halftime junior basketball is back thanks to Tyrepower

14 Nov
Scott Morrison meets his team in Tasmania

12 Nov
Wildcats NBL Blitz Preview

12 Nov
Wildcats launch 2021/22 campaign in style

11 Nov
Mitch Norton injury update

11 Nov
Pentanet powers on with the Wildcats
Support your team with the latest gear
Grab your latest team releases before they're gone.

Get the latest Team Updates
Breaking news & special offers. Direct to your inbox.


