A 41-point haul by Bryce Cotton led the Perth Wildcats to the win over the NZ Breakers despite the best efforts of Tacko Fall and Matt Mooney.
Fall really stood up and was a dominant presence, while Mooney dropped 17 third-quarter points but Cotton scored another 41 as the Wildcats prevailed 96-86 in the Australian National Basketball League (ANBL) at Spark Arena on Sunday.
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Fall was imposing with 28 points in 26 minutes and then Mooney finished with 28, but he fouled out with just over four minutes left with the Wildcats scoring 14 of the last 19 points.
The Breakers were back home having snapped an eight-game losing streak on New Year's Eve in Cairns for a first win with Fall, and the first of five without the suspended Parker Jackson-Cartwright.
Fall proved a dominant force with 21 points in the first half but in the almost eight minutes he was sitting, Perth took full advantage to lead by 11 at half-time.
Mooney took the Breakers back into the game with a 17-point third quarter, but still the 'Cats were up two at three quarter-time.
It was a dramatic start to the fourth quarter but when Mooney fouled out the game turned the Wildcats favour for good.
Perth outscored the Breakers 14-5 from there to win by 10 to improve to 12-9 on the season having won four of five on this current road trip.
Ben Henshall was another scorer for the Wildcats providing 11 points, Keanu Pinder nine points and four rebounds, and Dylan Windler nine points, seven boards, four assists, two steals and two blocks.
The Breakers are now 8-12 having lost nine of the last 10 with Fall finishing with 28 points, eight rebounds and four blocks on 10/12 field goal shooting and 8/11 at the line.
Mooney also had 28 points on 10/14 shooting with six assists while Max Darling contributed eight points and six rebounds, and Mitch McCarron seven points, six boards and three assists.
Fall was proving unstoppable early for the Breakers when they dumped the ball inside to him and he had 12 quick points for his team to lead 17-14, but once he subbed out of the game the complexion changed completely.
The Wildcats took charge the rest of the quarter outscoring the Breakers 16-7 to go into the first break leading 30-24 on 64 per cent shooting to the 52 from the Breakers.
The Breakers started the second quarter strongly and went on a 9-0 run to reclaim the lead with Max Darling hitting a three and the presence of Fall again significant.
Fall then added another quick four points to keep the home team in front, but again Perth took advantage when he went off with 10 consecutive points to break the game open.
Cotton then scored the last six points of the half himself to go into the break with 17 and the 'Cats were leading 55-44 as a result despite the 21 points from Fall who only played just over 12 minutes.
Fall then had another strong start to the second half with seven more points to go to 28 but this time it was with him off the floor that the Breakers made their run.
Mooney scored nine quick points himself including a pair of three balls to give the home team the lead, and by three quarter-time Mooney had scored 17 points himself for the term.
However, Perth were still clinging to the two-point lead and pushed that back out to six early in the final period on the back of three-point daggers from Henshall and Cotton.
Mooney was right back into the game to lead the Breakers to a 7-0 run to take back the lead, but he fouled out soon after and Perth scored 12 of the next 15 points for the eventual 10-point win.
The Breakers now have the quick turnaround to taking on the Bullets in Brisbane on Wednesday night.
Perth Wildcats 96 (Bryce Cotton 41, Ben Henshall 11) NZ Breakers 86 (Matt Mooney 28, Tacko Fall 28)