South Spotlight | Purchase ensures Tigers stay top

Featured image: Shane Panther | @shanejpg.sport

Jack Purchase knocked down five triples for 27 points and the Melbourne Tigers won a fourth straight NBL1 South game and retained top position by beating the Kilsyth Cobras 95-83.

The Tigers arrived at Kilsyth Sports Centre sitting in top spot of the NBL1 South while the Cobras had also won four straight but were without a couple of key players as they hosted the league-leaders.

Melbourne made a flying start with 62 points on the board already by half-time to be leading by 20 and with Purchase already having 18 to his name with 4/5 three-point shooting.

The Cobras did outscore the Tigers in the second half, but Melbourne still went on to secure the 12-point victory to make it four straight and to improve to 9-2 with Kilsyth now 7-4 following the defeat.

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Kilsyth did finish up attempting nine extra shots than Melbourne and even went 21/29 at the foul line opposed to 16/23, but the Tigers shot at 53 per cent to 36 on the way to the 12-point victory.

It's a fourth straight win for the Tigers to keep hold of top spot with Jack Purchase delivering 27 points, four assists, three rebounds and two blocks with 5/7 three-point shooting.

Tom Wilson added 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals, Wilson Amos 20 points, eight boards and two assists, George Blagojevic 11 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and Mason Gaze seven points, eight boards, four steals and two assists.

In the absence of Dillon Stith and Corey Jeffs, Kilsyth put in a spirited showing especially in the second half with Jamie Ahale finishing with 21 points, nine rebounds and three assists.

Chris Payton Jr added 20 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, Adrian Tomada 17 points, seven assists and four boards, and Hamish MacDonald 11 points, eight rebounds and two assists.

Melbourne came into Round 8 on top of the NBL1 South and against the shorthanded Kilsyth, the Tigers started strongly with a 10-0 run in the first quarter to open up a nine-point lead before being on top 29-22 at quarter-time.

Jack Purchase scored 10 of those points for Melbourne with them shooting 67 per cent from the floor while Kilsyth were shooting at just 47 per cent despite Chris Payton Jr having 10 points to his name.

The Tigers then piled on 33 points to 20 in the second term on the way to the 62-42 half-time edge with Purchase up to 18 points on 4/5 three-point shooting with Wilson Amos scoring 13 and Tom Wilson having 12 to go with five rebounds and three assists.

Melbourne were still shooting at 66 per cent going into half-time including 6/11 from downtown while the Cobras were managing just 37 per cent field goal shooting and 3/13 from behind the arc.

Kilsyth did breathe some life back into the contest in the third quarter much to the chagrin of Tigers coach Andrew Gaze whose sideline antics are always show stealing events.

But Melbourne were still on top by 15 at three quarter-time and then secured the 12-point win even with a strong second half from Kilsyth with the 41 points to just 33.

The Tigers now have a home double next weekend against Keilor Thunder and the Nunawading Spectres while Kilsyth back up on Sunday away to the defending champion Sandringham Sabres.

NBL1 SOUTH 2026 SEASON | ROUND 8

KILSYTH COBRAS 83 (Ahale 21, Payton Jr 20, Tomada 17)

MELBOURNE TIGERS 95 (Purchase 27, Wilson 21, Amos 20)