Rd 7 Report | Heart and culture of Jackies shines

The tougher things seem to get, the more the character and culture shines with the Tasmania JackJumpers and that's why all seven players who hit the floor on Sunday were outstanding in the 98-89 win over the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

The JackJumpers played a tough and physical game back on Friday night against the Sydney Kings leading into the short turnaround to the early game on Sunday at John Cain Arena against a Phoenix team who hadn’t played since last Saturday night.

Not only that, but Tasmania lost Ben Gold and David Johnson following that game as they joined Majok Deng, Ben Ayre and Bryce Hamilton on the sidelines, but nobody within the JackJumpers were looking for excuses.

The JackJumpers came out brilliantly with 27 points in the first quarter and 30 in the second on the way to leading by as much as 22 in the first half and still being up 57-39 by half-time.

South East Melbourne were always going to make a run and did get back within three, but Tasmania never gave up the lead and it was a clutch mid-range jumper banked in by Taran Armstrong with 35 seconds left that sealed the win to improve the JackJumpers to 7-3.

All five starters were outstanding in the win led by Dakota Mathias with 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists with 3/5 shooting from the outside.

Armstrong ended up with 18 points, five rebounds and three assists, Nick Marshall 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals, captain Will Magnay 15 points, six boards, four assists and four blocks, and Josh Bannan 14 points, six rebounds and four assists.

It wasn't just that five, but Nick Stoddart and Kody Stattmann gave crucial minutes off the bench too. Stoddart ended up with six points, two rebounds, an assist and a steal, and Stattmann six points and a rebound.

The JackJumpers might have had a quick turnaround and been without five rostered players while the Phoenix were well rested, but Tasmania flipped the script in the first quarter all on the back of hard work.

They had 12 second chance points in the opening quarter with Will Magnay and Dakota Mathias delivering eight points each while Kody Stattmann came on and landed a three ball.

The Phoenix were just shooting 6/15 with five turnovers and as a result the JackJumpers were leading 27-18 by quarter-time.

Tasmania remained in control through the second quarter too and the lead was out to as much as 22 heading towards half-time.

The JackJumpers were still leading 57-39 by the break with another 30 points on 10/15 shooting and 10/15 free-throw shooting while being up to 19 second chance points.

Magnay was up to 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks, with Mathias contributing 13 points and Taran Armstrong 11.

South East Melbourne were still struggling to get anything going with another 21 points on 8/19 shooting and 1/6 from deep with Angus Glover landing their lone three ball of the first half with D'Shawn Schwartz top scoring with 12 points.

The Phoenix did come out and make a run in the third quarter and got all the way back within five following a dunk from Jordan Hunter that turned into a three-point play.

But he fouled out soon after and Tasmania did enough to still be leading 76-64 by three quarter-time.

Nick Marshall put the JackJumpers back up 14 to start the final term but the Phoenix had the fresher legs and Schwartz hit a huge three with three minutes left to make it a three-point ball game.

Tasmania responded with a 6-2 run and then ultimately it was Armstrong with a banked in pull up mid-range jumper who closed the deal on the nine-point win for the shorthanded JackJumpers.

The JackJumpers are back to the Silverdome now in Launceston on Friday night to take on the New Zealand Breakers in their only appearance of Round 8.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2026/27 | ROUND 7

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 98 defeated South East Melbourne Phoenix 89

John Cain Arena (Melbourne), Sunday November 1

Dakota Mathias | 22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists
Taran Armstrong | 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
Nick Marshall | 17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Will Magnay | 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks
Josh Bannan | 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
Nick Stoddart | 6 points, 2 rebounds
Kody Stattmann | 6 points, 2/3 FG