Phoenix reign in monster lead but fall short against Jackies

Every team preaches a next-man up mentality, but the Tasmania JackJumpers live it and despite losing two more key players, they put in a standout performance with all five starters starring in a 98-89 win against the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Everything was stacked in the favour of the Phoenix coming into Sunday's match up at John Cain Arena.

They hadn't played since beating the Adelaide 36ers in the same building since last Saturday, are at full strength and were starting to build some momentum.

The JackJumpers just played on Friday night in Launceston giving up a late 12-2 to lose to the Sydney Kings and lost Ben Gold and David Johnson to injury in the process.

They joined Ben Ayre, Bryce Hamilton and Majok Deng sidelined combined with the quick turnaround, but the more their backs are to the wall, the JackJumpers seem to grow an extra leg.

Tasmania came out scoring 27 points in the first quarter and 30 in the second including 19 second chance points to open up a lead as big as 22.

South East Melbourne were always going to make a charge and they did get back within three, but Tasmania continued to have the answers.

And after admitting to working on his mid-range game all off-season, that's how Taran Armstrong slammed the door for the JackJumpers to win by nine and improve to a 7-3 record.

All five starters were outstanding in the win led by Dakota Mathias with 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists with 3/5 shooting from the outside.

Armstrong ended up with 18 points, five rebounds and three assists, Nick Marshall 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals, captain Will Magnay 15 points, six boards, four assists and four blocks, and Josh Bannan 14 points, six rebounds and four assists.

The Phoenix slip to 4-6 unable to make it three straight wins with just 7/29 shooting from deep as a team while D'Shawn Schwartz top scored with 27 points, five rebounds and two assists.

Angus Glover added 14 points and four rebounds, Yannis Morin 13 points, four boards, three steals and three blocks, and Nathan Sobey 13 points and five rebounds.

The JackJumpers might have had a quick turnaround and been without five rostered players while the Phoenix were well rested, but Tasmania flipped the script in the first quarter all on the back of hard work.

They had 12 second chance points in the opening quarter with Will Magnay and Dakota Mathias delivering eight points each while Kody Stattmann came on and landed a three ball.

The Phoenix were just shooting 6/15 with five turnovers and as a result the JackJumpers were leading 27-18 by quarter-time.

Tasmania remained in control through the second quarter too and the lead was out to as much as 22 heading towards half-time.

The JackJumpers were still leading 57-39 by the break with another 30 points on 10/15 shooting and 10/15 free-throw shooting while being up to 19 second chance points.

Magnay was up to 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks, with Mathias contributing 13 points and Taran Armstrong 11.

South East Melbourne were still struggling to get anything going with another 21 points on 8/19 shooting and 1/6 from deep with Angus Glover landing their lone three ball of the first half with D'Shawn Schwartz top scoring with 12 points.

The Phoenix did come out and make a run in the third quarter and got all the way back within five following a dunk from Jordan Hunter that turned into a three-point play.

But he fouled out soon after and Tasmania did enough to still be leading 76-64 by three quarter-time.

Nick Marshall put the JackJumpers back up 14 to start the final term but the Phoenix had the fresher legs and Schwartz hit a huge three with three minutes left to make it a three-point ball game.

Tasmania responded with a 6-2 run and then ultimately it was Armstrong with a banked in pull up mid-range jumper who closed the deal on the nine-point win for the shorthanded JackJumpers.

The Phoenix have another seven-day break now before playing away to the Sydney Kings next Sunday.

FULL TIME STATS

Schwartz: 27p/5r/2a
Glover: 14p/4r/2a/2stl
Morin: 13p/4r/1a/3stl/3blk
Sobey: 13p/5r/2a/2stl
Daniels: 7p/2r/4a
Hunter: 7p/4r/1a/1stl/2blk
Krebs: 4p/4r/1a/1blk
Mays: 4p/2r/1a
Aliir: 1r/1blk