Brilliant Besson Puts NBA on Notice After Stunning Wildcats Performance

Hugo Besson caught fire in spectacular fashion in the third quarter but in the end, the Sky Sport Breakers have suffered overtime heartbreak against the Perth Wildcats going down 104-102 in Hobart.

The Breakers were fresh off a breakthrough win against the Adelaide 36ers on Saturday night with their full roster available for the first time in #NBL22, and they were looking to back that up at Hobart's MyState Bank Arena on Monday night.

The opponents were the Wildcats who were playing their final road game of the season with nine straight home matches for them to come, and the Breakers delivered a tremendous effort through the four quarters, and overtime.

The Breakers shot 16/39 at 41 percent from three compared to 5/17 at 29 per cent from Perth, they matched them on the boards with Yanni Wetzell grabbing a career high 19 rebounds to go with his 17 points.

But it was NBA bound Hugo Besson delivering 17 points in the third quarter that sparked the game to life. He then drilled a go-ahead three-pointer with 45 seconds left in overtime to put the Breakers in front 102-101.

Once again though, the Wildcats had Bryce Cotton. He nailed the game winning three with 0.3 seconds left to give Perth the win 104-102. He scored 32 for the 'Cats and Vic Law 39.

Besson finished the game with 23 points and three assists while shooting 6/11 from three-point territory.

Peyton Siva contributed 19 points and six assists, Tom Abercrombie 12 points, and Finn Delany 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Ousmane Dieng added eight points and three rebounds, Rasmus Bach six points, Rob Loe three points and Will McDowell-White two to go with three rebounds and two assists.

Breakers coach Dan Shamir was disappointed but felt his side was simply unlucky Cotton ended with the last shot.

"We played some good basketball left everything on the floor. They made one more big play at the end and they get the W but overall, how can you complain when you do everything you can," Shamir said.

"The overtime was high scoring, it ended 16-14 In five minutes. So the tempo was good and both these teams were close the whole way. And games like that obviously are decided on very small things and very big plays done by players and tonight Bryce Cotton did again."

Besson said he always remained confident in his shooting even when shots don’t fall.

"I started the game a bit slow. So at half-time, I knew I had to step up my level so I just played my game and made some shots," Besson said.

"It's my game and I know how to step up to help the team to fight against a great team. I never really lose confidence. You know, it’s just basketball. You made some shots, you miss some shots.

"I started bad but I had 20 minutes left. So I just kept going and trying to do my best as I said to help the team and play at my level."

Vic Law was causing the Breakers all sorts of problems early helping Perth to a 14-6 lead, but New Zealand did well to stem the tide and that was helped with captain Tom Abercrombie draining a three-pointer.

Rob Loe came on to covert an and-one play to limit the damage and the Breakers only trailed the Wildcats by seven at quarter-time.

Peyton Siva then opened the second quarter hot hitting back-to-back three-pointers before Wetzell scored New Zealand's next six points to keep them in touch.

A run of eight straight points with the last five coming from Siva then had the Breakers back within three, and then a late Finn Delany three had the margin seven at the half-time interval despite the 21 points in the opening half for Perth from Law.

Perth was still leading by nine points midway through the third quarter with Hugo Besson yet to score in the game for the Breakers, but that was sure about to change in remarkable fashion.

In just over the last five minutes of the quarter he went on a stunning shooting display made up of five three-pointers along with a mid-range jumper to give him 17 points in that stretch.

It was enough to put New Zealand in front 68-67 by three quarter-time as well.

The Breakers then pulled away to a four-point lead early in the fourth when Rasmus Bach knocked down his second triple. Despite Perth snapping their own three-point drought through Jesse Wagstaff and Bryce Cotton, New Zealand still led 85-81 with 1:30 remaining.

Two Finn Delany free-throws kept the margin at four and then still New Zealand led 88-86 with 4.6 seconds to go with Wetzell making 1/2 from the line. However, Law scored a crafty fadeaway jumper and the game was heading to overtime.

In the extra period, the Breakers scored first with Abercrombie nailing a corner three. Perth hit the next six points but New Zealand was back level when Siva connected from beyond the arc.

Abercrombie hit again from deep for a one-point lead and then after a triple from Cotton, Wetzell put New Zealand back level with Perth. Cotton scored, but then Besson knocked down his sixth three-point bomb with 45 seconds remaining to put the Breakers up 102-101.

However, Cotton had the last laugh hitting a three with 0.3 seconds left as Perth took out the most incredible of wins.

The Breakers are now next in action on Sunday again against the Wildcats, albeit this time in Perth at RAC Arena.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 15

SKY SPORT BREAKERS 102 (Besson 23, Siva 19, Wetzell 17)

PERTH WILDCATS 104 (Law 39, Cotton 32, Wagstaff 11) 

BOX SCORE