Wildcats beat Phoenix in Pink Game as Cotton stars

The Wildcats scored a whopping 40 points in the second quarter, their highest-scoring term in 17 and most from any team in NBL25, to turn an eight-point deficit into a 10-point lead by half-time on the way to a 97-84 triumph.

Four-time NBL MVP Cotton dominated in his return from a rib issue, amassing a game-high 33 points to go with five rebounds and four assists.

Fellow import Dylan Windler (20 points, three rebounds and two steals) was also at his damaging best, shooting the lights up with eight of nine from the field.

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Kristian Doolittle (12 points, seven rebounds and five assists) was his consistent self and Next Star Izan Almansa (nine points and nine rebounds) also chipped in at both ends of the floor.

The visitors were out of the blocks quickly, storming to a 10-0 start before a steadying couple of shots from young gun Ben Henshall.

In his first appearance in nearly a month, Cotton got rolling midway through the opening term with a massive triple.

Then it was Dylan Windler time, with the former NBA star racking up nine points in a little over two minutes including a pair of dunks.

Windler was doing it at the defensive end as well as the Wildcats came back from a double-digit deficit to trail 26-18 at quarter-time.

Perth went on another run early in the second to even things up at 31-apiece with Cotton up to nine points.

Windler was the first Wildcat into double figures, shooting at a perfect six of six from the field for the half including three from outside the arc.

Cotton was up to a game-high 19 points, partly thanks to the Phoenix’s ever-growing foul count, by half-time to help his team to a 58-48 buffer at the main break.

It was another big term for the Wildcats in the third with Cotton on 28 by three-quarter time and the lead growing to 76-60.

The rebounding efforts of big men Izan Almansa and Kristian Doolittle were also important, with the pair combining for a dozen boards in the first three quarters.

The Wildcats’ lead went out to as much as 22 before South-East Melbourne came home strongly to make a game of it with Matt Hurt having a big say.

It was 10 points the difference with two-and-a-half minutes to play with Almansa and Doolittle produced a team-lifting double defensive effort.

Windler then called game with his four three-pointer of the night as the Wildcats made it an even 6-6 record heading into Sunday’s road clash with Brisbane.