Tasmania's seven-man rotation has delivered another win, and this one put the JackJumpers back on top of the NBL ladder. They held off New Zealand 79–77 at Launceston's Silverdome on Friday night, 6 November, despite Sam Mennenga's 29 points and 17 rebounds for the Breakers. With four regular rotation players unavailable, Scott Roth's side had to find enough offence from almost everyone who stepped onto the court.
Dakota Mathias supplied 18 points, including four three-pointers, while Will Magnay added 16 and three blocks. Josh Bannan's 14 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists were arguably the most complete contribution: he gave Tasmania a reliable passing option and a way to keep the ball moving when the Breakers pressured the scoring threats. Taran Armstrong chipped in 10, and Kody Stattmann's nine points mattered enormously in a game decided by a single possession.
The lead changed shape rather than disappearing. Tasmania opened 27–19, only for New Zealand to score the final 11 points of the first half and reach the break level at 43–43. The JackJumpers responded with the first seven points of the third quarter, then won that period 21–12 to take a nine-point cushion into the last. New Zealand won the fourth 22–15, but couldn't complete the comeback.
Stattmann's late free throws stretched the lead to 79–75. After the Breakers cut it to two, Magnay missed a pair from the stripe with seven seconds remaining. That gave Mennenga a chance to force overtime, but his long two-point attempt missed. Tasmania survived a finish that was much tighter than its third-quarter control had promised.
The offensive contrast is instructive. Mennenga was the game's standout scorer and rebounder, yet Tasmania found six players who scored at least seven points. That balance mattered with Majok Deng, Bryce Hamilton, Ben Gold and David Johnson unavailable. The JackJumpers weren't able to lean on a deep bench, so they needed productive possessions from their core seven and enough defensive discipline to protect a narrow advantage.
Tasmania's official club match report confirms the 8–3 record and return to first place entering the weekend. It also shows why this result means more than another tick in the win column: the JackJumpers had lost their previous Silverdome fixture to Sydney, and their undermanned group faced another late test at the same venue. This time they got over the line.
New Zealand's problem isn't Mennenga's production. He gave the Breakers a genuine chance to steal the game, but the side has now lost five straight. The inability to finish a comeback after clawing back an 11-point first-half deficit and then a nine-point three-quarter-time margin is particularly frustrating. The NBL's official Tasmania fixture list has the JackJumpers travelling to Perth on 12 November, where this short rotation will face another demanding assignment. For now, their defence, shared scoring and composure have been enough to reclaim top spot.
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