Rnd5 Match Review: Wildcats v Brisbane NBL26

It was a night of early promise but late frustration for the Perth Wildcats, who showed flashes of brilliance before falling 93–110 to the Brisbane Bullets in their first Ignite Cup clash at RAC Arena.

The game began at a high tempo with the Bullets striking first, before Dontae Russo-Nance replied with a slick move to the rim to get the Wildcats on the board.

Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. made an immediate impact defensively with a big-time block, but it was Brisbane who came out hot from the field, racing ahead 8–2 and forcing Perth into an early timeout.

Out of the break, Dylan Windler went to work with a smooth drive and finish, followed by a powerful JLA dunk that lifted the crowd.

Slowly, the Wildcats began to claw their way back into the contest through aggressive play from Mason Jones and a composed finish inside from Lual-Acuil Jr.

Momentum swung back and forth as both sides traded threes, Doolittle and Lat Mayen each responding to big Brisbane buckets.

The Red Army roared when Ben Henshall checked into the game and buried a corner three.

Former Wildcat Casey Prather reminded the crowd of his scoring touch, closing the quarter strongly to give Brisbane a 26–21 lead to finish the first quarter.

The Wildcats came out firing to open the second term, erasing the deficit within 90 seconds and surging ahead 29–28 behind relentless energy on both ends.

Lual-Acuil Jr continued to lead the charge, muscling his way inside for points as Perth rediscovered their rhythm.

However, Prather kept the Bullets rolling, causing headaches for his former side with a 15-point first half that helped Brisbane reclaim control late in the period and holding a 56–48 lead going into the half.

Perth looked poised to break the game open early in the third. Mason Jones caught fire, drilling back-to-back threes, before Windler brought the house down with a thunderous slam that had RAC Arena on its feet.

Jaron Rillie injected spark off the bench, attacking the rim for a clever reverse layup and then immediately coming up with a steal on the next possession.

But as Brisbane tightened up defensively, the momentum began to shift. The Bullets’ outside shooting and transition play saw them wrestle back the advantage, pushing out to an eight point lead late in the quarter.

Ben Henshall continued to impress, knocking down another corner three and coming up with a big defensive stop to close the term, but Perth still trailed 71–80 heading into the fourth.

The final period turned into a grind. Both sides traded early blows, but Prather (25 points, 6 rebounds) and Tyrell Harrison (21 points) kept the Bullets in control.

The visitors’ execution on both ends slowly stretched the margin as the Wildcats struggled to find consistency.

Even as the game slipped away, Perth continued to fight. Mason Jones hit a tough three and finished through contact before his night ended with fouling out of the game.

Elijah Pepper nailed a signature triple off the bench, and Henshall added another late long-range three, while Cameron Huefner capped his first Wildcats appearance with a buzzer-beating basket that lightened the mood the Red Army in attendance.

In the end, Brisbane’s shooting and composure proved decisive as they closed out the 93–110 win.

For Perth, they now move to a 3-2 record after 5 rounds and now go on the road to play the Kings in Sydney on Sunday, 19 October.