West Spotlight | Cherry, Bryce just overcome Perry, Lachy

Featured image: Michael Farnell @sportsimageryau

Jock Perry and Lachlan Bertram again did all they could to get Mandurah Magic a first win of NBL1 West season but Bryce Johnson and Taeshon Cherry fired again with the latter hitting the game winner as Willetton Tigers prevailed 97-96.

The two teams are no strangers to playing cracking contests against one another and none better than their remarkable 2024 Grand Final at RAC Arena where the Magic made history by securing the club's first ever SBL/NBL1 West championship.

Both teams have had mixed fortunes so far in 2026 with Willetton back home on Saturday night at Willetton Basketball Stadium yet to lose while Mandurah are yet to win while awaiting the arrival of Adelaide 36ers NBL guard Matt Kenyon and former Tigers import combo guard Michael Dupree.

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Willetton then looked on target for the win for most of the night leading by 15 in the second quarter and still 11 in the fourth with just four minutes left in the game.

But Mandurah went on an 11-0 scoring run to be within two and then Perry tied scores up but it was Cherry who hit the biggest shot of the night with a huge three to beat the shot clock to be the hero for Willetton to go 4-0 and send Mandurah to 0-4.

Bryce Johnson started on fire for the Tigers with 14 points in the first quarter and ended the night with 28 to go with five rebounds and five assists on 4/7 three-point shooting.

On top of his huge late three, Cherry ended up with 26 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks as he continues to play even better than he did in 2025 when named to the All-First Team.

Lachlan Burnett had the night of his four-game career with the teenager putting up 18 points, five rebounds and five assists with Tom Gerovich contributing 10 points, 10 boards and four assists, and Tom Musumeci seven points and three assists.

Mandurah might be 0-4 now but there's a lot to like especially with what Perry and Bertram are giving, and with Kenyon and Dupree to come.

Bertram top-scored with 29 points, seven rebounds, six steals and five assists with 12/21 field goal shooting while Perry ended up with 26 points, 15 boards and six assists to be +6 in 37 minutes on a team that lost.

Ryan Blanchett is now a 238-game, dual championship winning veteran and put up 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals with Joseph MacDonald contributing nine points and two assists, and Jayden Crudeli eight points and four assists.

Yet to lose in 2026, the Tigers started on fire at home putting up 31 points in the first quarter with 14 of those to Bryce Johnson who went 3/4 from deep.

Mandurah had just 18 points on the board by quarter-time having had six turnovers and shooting at just 41 per cent.

Jock Perry got rolling in the second frame, though, and had 15 points and eight rebounds to his name by half-time but it was still Willetton leading 50-43 with Taeshon Cherry and Johnson combining for 33 of their 50 points.

Lachlan Bertram then joined Perry in a dynamic little man-big man punch for the Magic. He had 18 points up to three quarter-time with Perry having 20 and 10 already, and they helped the Magic be within three at three quarter-time.

But Willetton pulled away again and with a breakaway dunk with four minutes to play from Cherry, they were up 11 and that looked cruising to a fourth straight win to open 2026.

The Magic weren’t going to go down wondering, though, and scored seven straight points from Jayden Crudeli, Bertram and Jaxon Comito to be back within two with just under two minutes on the clock.

A minute later and Perry scored again to level scores up at 94-94 only for the Tigers struggling to get off a shot up the other end, but the ball ended up with Cherry who had to jack up the three to beat the shot clock.

It never looked like missing and proved the match winner with Perry's attempted answer up the other end not quite falling with the Tigers staying unbeaten and the Magic winless.

Mandurah's next chance for a first win of 2026 comes on Sunday against the reigning champion Geraldton Buccaneers while the Tigers have a double next weekend home to the South West Slammers on Friday and away to the Eastern Suns on Anzac Day in a battle of unbeaten teams.

NBL1 WEST 2026 SEASON | ROUND 4

WILLETTON TIGERS 97 (Johnson 28, Cherry 26, Burnett 18)

MANDURAH MAGIC 96 (Bertram 29, Perry 26, MacDonald 9)