Wildcats defeat Gleeson's Jets in Japan thriller

The Wildcats, coming off a massive win over Nagoya on Friday, were tested against the Jets.

Kristian Doolittle was the difference late, hitting a pair of clutch triples late in the match to inspire a stunning late comeback.

Doolittle finished with a team-high 19 points, including five three-pointers, to go with some excellent defensive efforts.

Ben Henshall started for the second game in a row and had 17 points including 14 in the first half alone.

Chiba got on the roll to start to final quarter, turning an 11-point deficit into a two-point lead with four minutes go to.

Next Star Izan Almansa, who was crucial with 11 points for the game, then tied the scores at 78-apiece with one of his trademark hookshots.

Doolittle then added a triple and Almansa produced a massive dunk to give the Wildcats a five-point buffer with two minutes left.

The Wildcats went on a 12-0 late to seal victory and make it four wins from four starts this pre-season.

Popular big man Mooney, who won the Wildcats’ MVP award in his only season at the club in 2021, was a familiar name on the opposition team.

It was all Chiba early before the visitors settled with Henshall’s hot hand playing a part on the way to eight first-quarter points.

Wildcats’ lead for first time, three minutes to go in the first quarter with Almansa hitting a pair of free throws to make the margin 17-15.

Just like the first term, the Jets started strongly before an impressive finish from the Wildcats turned things on their head.

Henshall (14) and Doolittle (11) continued to put their mark on the game, with the latter also having a real impact at the defensive end as well with the score out to 55-43.

The third quarter was a close affair before a see-sawing final term saw the lead change multiple times.

The next clash of the Wildcats’ Japan tour is against Yokohama B-Corsairs on Wednesday from 11am WST.

It’s set to be live streamed through the Wildcats’ App and YouTube channel.