DREWITT'S BULBS MATCH REPORT: Phoenix fall just shy in dramatic west outing

Josh King’s side led the hosts for majority of the contest, though the four-time MVP in Cotton turned the tide and started an avalanche of scoring to finish the game.

A sequence of fouls, astonishing three-point makes and a last second triple made the final stretch an entertaining, but ultimately fruitless result for the Phoenix.

South East Melbourne got out to as much as 12 points ahead, with a win set to propel the side to third spot on the table, largely silencing the 14,000 strong WA crowd.

Though a 34-22 scoring run down the stretch, with Cotton scoring 13 of those points in the final quarter, sealed the Phoenix’s fate with the two sides swapping positions on the table.

Prodigious scorer Matt Hurt again led allcomers for the visitors with another 19 points and seven rebounds, with co-captain Jordan Hunter valiant with a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Owen Foxwell earned his first start of the campaign and didn’t disappoint with 13 points and three assists, Ben Ayre the recipient of more minutes, repaying the faith with 14 points and three assists.

The three-ball wasn’t firing early, but the Phoenix found their groove with five players posting at least two made threes by game’s end, Nathan Sobey and Malique Lewis both dropping back-to-back buckets from deep to keep the Perth team nervous.

The Phoenix take on the Adelaide 36ers on Sunday to try and keep their top-two aspirations alive heading into the final two rounds of the NBL25 season.

FULL TIME STATS

Hurt: 19p/7r
Ayre: 14p/2r/3a
Hunter: 13p/13r/1a/3blks
Foxwell: 13p/3r/3a/1blk
Wieskamp: 10p/4r/1stl
Glover: 10p/2r/3a/2stls
Lewis: 10p/2r/2a
Sobey: 8p/2r/3a/2stls
Kenyon: 2p/1r

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