The Tasmania JackJumpers have overpowered the New Zealand Breakers to chalk up a 93-82 victory and maintain sixth spot on the NBL ladder.
The JackJumpers entered Monday's contest having lost all three encounters with the Breakers this season but played with greater physicality and aggression to avoid a series sweep and record their second win at MyState Bank Arena in the space of five days.
Playing with their trademark tenacity on the defensive side of the ball, the JackJumpers dominated the closing minutes of the first quarter to build a double-digit lead then kept the Breakers at arm's length for the rest of the night.
Josh Magette led from the front with a team-high 16 points and five steals while Milton Doyle and Fabian Krslovic each added 14, but a 45-29 edge in rebounding was the standout statistic for coach Scott Roth.
"We're trying to put some layers on us to, hopefully, get down the road to where we are lucky enough to get into the playoffs," Roth said after the JackJumpers improved to 10-8 on the season.
"But I think our rebounding has been something that we continue to stress and against this team, they kind of outhustled us a few times,"
Playing for the first time in 18 days due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the squad, New Zealand struggled to navigate Tasmania's pressing defence without floor general Will McDowell-White as Tasmania racked up 13 steals to consign the Breakers (11-6) to their third loss on the trot.
"This is exactly the kind of team you don't want to meet when you're down a point guard and your a little bit out of rhythm, they exploited it to the max," coach Mody Maor said as the Breakers missed the chance to draw level with ladder leaders Sydney Kings with a 12-5 record.
Tasmania's forced six New Zealand turnovers in the opening quarter and Krslovic drained two triples as part of an 11-2 run over the final two minutes as the home side skipped ahead 27-17.
The JackJumpers maintained their advantage in the second period but Barry Brown Jr's three-pointer on the halftime buzzer allowed New Zealand to break even for the quarter and cut the lead to 46-36.
The Breakers made a horrid start to the third quarter with three early turnovers but Cam Gliddon gave the visitors a boost in his 300th national league appearance with a pair of three-pointers to see New Zealand trail by 11 ahead of the final stanza.
A flurry of long bombs from New Zealand veteran Tom Abercrombie boosted the Breakers' chances of a fourth-quarter fightback but Jack McVeigh came alive with a series of key baskets to seal the result for Tasmania.
