Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Unsung JackJumper Kody Stattmann has had the NBL game of his life as Tasmania used a powerful third quarter to defeat Brisbane 104-92.
Stattmann racked up a career-high 28 points, including 6-of-11 three-pointers, for the JackJumpers, who shrugged off a first-half arm wrestle to seize control 29-14 in the third at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Sunday.
Dakota Mathias added 22 points and Taran Armstrong 17 as Tasmania consolidated second position on the ladder.
“We had a hell of a third quarter defensively,” Tasmania coach Scott Roth said.
“Our offence started to tick over. The second half was critical to us, but that third quarter was fantastic.”
Import Nate Hinton top-scored with 27 points for the Bullets, whose defeat was compounded by an injury to Brazilian playmaker Raul Neto, who exited the game during the third quarter with tightness in his lower left leg.
Additionally, veteran Mitch Norton, Neto’s back-up point guard, played much of the game with his head heavily bandaged after his lip started bleeding profusely from a stray Josh Bannan elbow in the second term.
Stattmann, earning heavy starter minutes amid the JackJumpers’ injury crisis, was red-hot from tip-off, pouring in the visitors’ first 11 points without a miss in the first 157 seconds.
Nick Stoddart then tagged in and scored eight straight Tassie points late, but the Jackies couldn’t control Neto or Brisbane’s rebounding as the Bullets led 26-21 at quarter-time.
Hinton, held scoreless in the opening period, came alive by converting a string of drives in the second term, at the end of which Brisbane still held sway 52-50.
He started the third with a steal and dunk, followed by a Tyrell Harrison slam, but from that point it was all Tasmania, who embarked on a match-sealing 13-0 burst.
In Neto’s absence, Brisbane lost their flow on offence and struggled to contain the Jackies at the other end. The margin was suddenly 79-66 at three-quarter time, before blowing it out to 90-71 in the fourth.
“Equal parts excitement and frustration,” Bullets coach Will Weaver said.
“There were some breakdowns in that third quarter.
“Both teams are dinged up – but we got even more dinged up.”
