Wildcats fall short against United in overtime thriller

The Wildcats fell 109-103 in a see-sawing open-air clash at a packed John Cain Arena which had it all.

Three-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton was unbelievable in a losing cause, scoring a game-high 36 points despite close attention from defensive beasts Shea Ili and Matthew Dellavedova.

Cotton played all 45 minutes of the match, recovering from a slow start offensively to play a starring role.

With Tai Webster fouled out early and others in foul trouble, Jordan Usher upped his minutes and finished with 23 points including two massive threes in the fourth quarter to keep the Wildcats in it.

Ian Clark was the hero for United, hitting the game-sealing bucket from way outside the three-point arc on the way to a team-high 25 points.

The Wildcats led by as much as 12 points late in the third quarter before United stormed back into the match to snatch the lead in the last.

It was a low-scoring start with both teams struggling to adjust to the open-air conditions.

Known for his prolific offence, Cotton was doing an excellent job at the other end early on fellow MVP candidate Chris Goulding.

With long-range shots not dropping, the Wildcats turned to big man Keanu Pinder (15 points, nine rebounds and four assists) to lead the scoring in the paint and he quickly raced to double digits.

Slow starts had been a problem for Perth in NBL24 but they had no such troubles this time around, jumping out to a 26-21 quarter-time lead.

Melbourne came back hard in the second term thanks to some strong defensive plays before Perth steadied as Cotton began to heat up, capped off by a pair of long-range triples.

Cotton brushed off his opponents to finish the first half with a game-high 18 points and three assists, with Usher's buzzer beater giving the visitors a 50-42 lead.

After spending more time than usual on the bench in the opening half due to foul trouble, Tai Webster came to life midway through the third quarter with some important buckets. 

Perth seemingly had the answers to every challenge Melbourne threw at them in the third, taking a 71-63 advantage into the last quarter.

The momentum swung firmly in United's favour in the last with former Wildcat Luke Travers hitting two big threes to cut the deficit back to a solitary point with eight minutes remaining.

The ladder leaders then took the lead soon after, by as much as seven, before Usher and Wagstaff nailed some clutch shots from outside the arc to make it a one-point game with two minutes on the clock.

Cotton then made a pair of free throws and followed it up with a three to give Perth a four-point buffer.

But Melbourne, led by Goulding, made sure the game went into overtime, tying the scores at 92-all.

The Wildcats' next assignment of a three-game, eight-day road trip is against Cairns on Boxing Day.