Wildcats beat NZ for third road win in a row

The Wildcats finished a four-game away stint with three wins in a row to extend their buffer in second spot on the ladder and end New Zealand’s winning streak of four.

Three-time MVP Bryce Cotton got better as the contest went on to finish with a game-high 31 points including a remarkable 16 of 17 from the stripe.

It was his second 30-plus points game against the Breakers this season after dropping 37 at RAC Arena in November.

With Next Star Alex Sarr missing because of a hip injury, Hyrum Harris (11 points and eight rebounds) and Jesse Wagstaff (11 points) stepped up even more to play vital roles in the team’s 12^th win of the season.

Big man Keanu Pinder also made his presence felt with 19 points, including six of seven from the field, before appearing to hurt his ankle late in the game.

After only arriving in the country just after midnight local time, the Wildcats took a while to get going and trailed by as much as 14 in the second term.

Both teams were deadly from outside the arc early, hitting their first three triples apiece in a high-scoring affair.

Wagstaff came off the bench midway through the opening term and had an immediate impact, nailing a three followed by a mid-range jump shot.

But everything was dropping at the other end for the in-form Breakers, aiming for their fifth win on the trot, on the way to a 35-24 quarter-time lead.

Cotton started to heat up after a quiet first quarter, hitting a pair of free throws followed by a massive three before getting involved defensively with an impressive steal on pocket rocket Jackson Parker-Cartwright.

New Zealand led by as much 14 early in the second before the visitors came storming back into the contest before half-time.

Wagstaff – a nemesis of the Breakers for a long time - was making plays at both ends of the floor, with another three before drawing a charging foul with two minutes left in the half.

It was just two points the margin before Will McDowell-White’s buzzer-beater three made it 58-53.

Hyrum Harris did it all in the third quarter, from driving layups to outside shots, assists and his usual defensive toughness.

Cotton also added a trio of and-ones to continue his perfect free-throw streak and all of a sudden the Wildcats were up  87-77 at the final change.

Tai Webster (11 points, seven rebounds and six assists) joined the party with some buckets either side of three-quarter time and let his former home crowd know about it after sinking a three early in the last as the Wildcats ran away with the victory.

After four consecutive games on the road, the Wildcats finally return home on Saturday to take on South East Melbourne Phoenix at RAC Arena in the open-air clash.