Wildcats Off-Season Wrap: Pepper named best in NBL1 West AGAIN

The red-hot Perth Wildcats shooting guard continued his incredible NBL1 West campaign for Warwick Senators, scoring a whopping 48 points after back-to-back 50-plus hauls.

Pepper, who is locked in for the Wildcats for NBL26, led the Senators to a thrilling victory over arch-rivals Joondalup Wolves on the road.

He finished with a staggering 10 threes to go with eight assists and five rebounds.

Todd Withers, a replacement import for the Wildcats last season, also starred with 24 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Second-year Development Player Tom Gerovich, who turned 21 on Wednesday, was another impressive performance in the West competition.

Gerovich had a well-rounded stat line for Willetton against reigning a star-studded Rockingham Flames outfit, falling one rebounds shy of a double-double.

Gerovich had 17 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block as the Tigers narrowly lost to the Flames at home.

New Wildcat Lat Mayen enjoyed a big game for West Adelaide Bearcats in the NBL1 Central competition.

Like Gerovich, athletic forward Mayen finished just short of a double-double with 16 points and nine boards in the Bearcats’ loss to Forestville.

Fellow Wildcats signing Sunday Dech, who returns to the club he won two championships with, helped Knox Raiders to a win over Sandringham in the NBL1 South.

Dech had eight points, six rebounds and three assists in the comfortable victory.

Across the ditch, Hyrum Harris posted his fifth double-double of the New Zealand Basketball League season with the Aaron Young-coached Wellington Saints.

Harris amassed 15 points, 12 rebounds and three assists in the 105-65 thrashing of Nelson Giants.

Big man David Okwera had a decent outing in Franklin Bulls’ loss to Southland Sharks with 13 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

DP Dontae Russo-Nance was one of Manawat’s best in their win over Hawkes Bay, scoring 20 points to go with a game-high four steals, five rebounds and three assists.

In Puerto Rice, Kristian Doolittle returned with a big game for Gigantes de Carolina.

Doolittle put up 11 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals in the loss to Bayamon.

Tai Webster’s JL Bourg went down to Lyon with the New Zealander tallying nine points, four assists and three rebounds.