Canadians in Australia: NBL Round 10

It seemed that Australia's major basketball league was setting into a rhythm by its mid-point, but the tenth week of NBL action threw up unprecedented results and turned the league on its head.

The NBL's latest franchise, the Tasmania JackJumpers, after early struggles in the season found themselves on an incredible winning streak. They followed big wins over New Zealand and Adelaide in round nine by coming back from double digits down early on early on against the Sydney Kings. Scorching the opposition defence from beyond the arc, Tasmania completed another emphatic win over big opponents, 77-70.

Days later MiKyle McIntosh scored sixteen in almost as many minutes against league leaders Melbourne United. Tasmania led by fifteen in the first half, outshot Melbourne from the field and poured in twelve three-pointers. Unfazed by their opposition, the JackJumpers won convincingly 94-85 - their fourth game without loss, which moves them from the foot of the ladder to fourth place overall.

It was a mixed week for the rest of the league's Canadian contingent. Coach James Duncan's Brisbane Bullets kept it tight against the visiting Cairns Taipans, but could not go a step further and make their move to put themselves in front, despite five players in double-digits including team-high 22 from Robert Franks. Cairns' three-point shooters keeping the lead firmly with them throughout the business end of the game.

With Majok Deng and Buk Kuol both finishing with 26 points each, the Taipans would not be denied victory, winning by the final margin of 102-94.

Fellow Canadian coach Scott Morrison looked to get his Perth Wildcats back to winning ways after a heated match-up with Sydney. This time they faced South East Melbourne, who started out in dominant fashion, yet in the face of rampant shooting and low-post production from the Wildcats led by Luke Travers and Bryce Cotton, the home team let that early lead slip away from them.

Perth flipped the script by the half and continued that form for the second half on to blowout victory, 101 points to 79, which moves them to first place overall.

After suffering a heavy loss to the New Zealand Breakers at the start of the round, the Illawarra Hawks looked to get back to winning ways but were facing the rampant Phoenix, also looking to pick up a win after the loss to Perth.

After SEM built a big early lead in the paint, the Hawks responded from beyond the arc and by the end of the third quarter they went from fifteen down to a single possession game. Xavier Rathan-Mayes rose to the cause for Illawarra, contributing 13 points and pulling down eight rebounds and also leading the team in assists.

It all came down to the final stretch: there was only three points between the teams until a late run of seven points unanswered by the Hawks, which put them up by three in the final minute. Xavier Munford drew two fouls and made all his won free-throws, putting the Phoenix up by one, and a last-second attempt at the win by Rathan-Mayes fell short. Illawarra fought tooth and nail but saw victory denied to them right at the death.