Tasmania didn't need a runaway scoreline to return to the top of the NBL ladder. Their 79–77 win over New Zealand at the Silverdome on Friday 6 November came down to a final missed jumper, but the more revealing story was how the JackJumpers found enough frontcourt playmaking and defensive resistance to survive a 29-point, 17-rebound performance from Sam Mennenga.
The home side started sharply, leading 27–19 at quarter-time, before the Breakers erased an 11-point deficit with an 11–0 run to finish the first half. At 43–43, Tasmania's early control had vanished. The response was immediate: seven unanswered points to begin the third quarter, followed by a 64–55 lead at the last change. That third-quarter reset, rather than a late scoring explosion, gave Tasmania the margin it eventually protected.
Josh Bannan was central to the balance. His 14 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists made him more than an interior finisher. When a big man can keep the ball moving while competing on the glass, Tasmania has another way to organise possessions without asking its guards to create everything. Will Magnay supplied 16 points and three blocks, reinforcing the defensive backbone, while Dakota Mathias hit four threes on his way to a team-high 18 points.
New Zealand had a clear counterweight in Mennenga. He shot 13-of-19 and hauled in 17 rebounds, keeping the Breakers close even as their backcourt options narrowed. Carlin Davison's nine assists helped drive the first-half comeback, but starting guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright didn't return after half-time and centre Charles Bediako was also limited following an early fall. Those absences made the visitors' final push more impressive, even if the fifth consecutive defeat still stings.
With 22 seconds remaining, the Breakers had trimmed the gap to two. Magnay then missed two free throws, handing New Zealand a final chance. Mennenga chose a long two rather than a potential winning three, and his shot missed at the buzzer. The ending was untidy for Tasmania, but the JackJumpers had already done enough in the third quarter to put themselves in position to withstand it.
The NBL's official match report records Tasmania improving to 8–3 and New Zealand falling to 4–8. It's also a rare Silverdome success for the JackJumpers, only their third victory in 12 appearances at the venue. The official game centre provides the fixture and score record.
Tasmania now heads to Perth on Thursday 12 November with a useful lesson from a narrow win: Bannan's passing, Magnay's rim protection and Mathias's shooting can complement each other when the offence needs a steady hand. New Zealand hosts Brisbane on Friday, needing to turn Mennenga's outstanding production into more collective stops and enough healthy ball-handling to finish close games.
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