A clinic from behind the arc was the catalyst for the Tasmania JackJumpers' 87-85 win against Brisbane Bullets in their first game at Launceston's Silverdome for this NBL season.
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While there were multiple contributors, American import Milton Doyle was at his very best, leading the way during the JackJumpers' third-quarter blitz.
The see-sawing affair came to an exciting conclusion, with neither side able to add a single point in the last two minutes.
![Jordon Crawford attempts to dribble around Rocco Zikarsky in the JackJumpers' Silverdome win against the Brisbane Bullets. Pictures by Paul Scambler Jordon Crawford attempts to dribble around Rocco Zikarsky in the JackJumpers' Silverdome win against the Brisbane Bullets. Pictures by Paul Scambler](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/196462108/6ea413f2-04d6-4df6-b84a-0da79e0adbf6.jpg/r0_354_6935_4623_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Tasmania's fifth win of their campaign, it was just their second in the North of the state in history.
The victory puts the JackJumpers into fourth place for the time being, leapfrogging the Bullets in the process, and squares the ledger between the clubs, after Brisbane defended home court last Sunday.
Doyle finished with 24 points, while Tyrell Harrison (20) and Nathan Sobey (18) were best for the Bullets.
The JackJumpers got off to the best start they could have asked for when Doyle delivered the perfect lob for fellow countryman Marcus Lee, who dunked the ball with authority.
The next two minutes continued on a familiar theme as they prevented the Bullets from scoring at all, while Jack McVeigh and Jordon Crawford extended the home side's lead to 9-0.
![Milton Doyle's 24 points led the way for the Tasmania JackJumpers. Milton Doyle's 24 points led the way for the Tasmania JackJumpers.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/196462108/7e72c849-226e-4629-b5f2-d47a48f703ad.jpg/r785_1019_5645_4610_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
But the resulting timeout was exactly what the doctor ordered for Brisbane, who went on an 8-0 run of their own.
Tamsania's early aggression paid off late in the first quarter, with Brisbane conceding seven free-throws - all of which were converted.
Entering the second quarter with a two-point lead, the JackJumpers were given a taste of their own medicine as the Bullets continued to attack the paint - perhaps not a surprise considering they are the worst outside-shooting team in the league.
With former JackJumpers Sam McDaniel and Isaac White among the eight different scorers for the Bullets half way through the second, a pair of threes from McVeigh and Anthony Drmic kept Tasmania within one possession.
But with the Bullets' big-man duo of Aron Baynes and Harrison beginning to take control of the paint, the visitors were able to build a nine-point lead.
As he has done plenty of times before, up stepped Doyle.
Trailing by seven heading into the main break, Tasmania were able to keep the last possession alive following a Fabijan Krslovic offensive rebound and Doyle drained a buzzer-beating three from a good metre behind the arc.
![Coach Scott Roth was animated from the bench all evening. Coach Scott Roth was animated from the bench all evening.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/196462108/4a5f1b66-43fd-4b84-b0a0-b955b1ec3086.jpg/r0_422_7137_5082_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
An alley-oop marked the start of the second half much like the first, but it was reverse roles for Lee and Doyle.
Two-consecutive triples from Doyle had the Launceston crowd on their feet, with his tally rising to 15 and the JackJumpers returning to the lead.
Yet another shot from deep found the bottom of the net for Tasmania, with Drmic's effort from the corner never in doubt.
The Bullets meanwhile continued their plan of getting to the line and remained flawless after 15 attempts.
Doyle's hot hand continued as he sunk his third from beyond the arc in the quarter, with the team going at 40 per cent.
![The two sides played in front of a packed crowd. The two sides played in front of a packed crowd.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/196462108/f9b980ce-7fa7-476e-81b6-048ef57249f8.jpg/r0_0_7819_4413_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Tasmania claimed the first double-digit lead of the night following the team's sixth and seventh threes of the period, with captain Clint Steindl finding his range for both.
A 34-point third quarter gave Tasmania a handy buffer going into the last and Steindl remained hot to give the home side their first three points.
But just as the JackJumpers looked to pull away, the Bullets fired back to bring the scores to 80-77.
Scores were level at 83 soon after, with Brisbane looking the more likely as time wore on.
But crucial buckets in the paint from Lee and McVeigh helped the home side to a four-point lead with three minutes remaining.
Perhaps the biggest noise from the Silverdome crowd came with 2.24 on the clock, with a foul against the JackJumpers being paid much to the fans' ire.
At 87-85, the JackJumpers had four chances to close the game but missed on every occasion.
In a sense of fate, McDaniel was the man to take the game-tying shot as time ran out, but his effort was a little short, giving the JackJumpers just their second win in Launceston.
Tasmania's next game is Saturday, where the side will travel to South Australia for an 8pm clash with the Adelaide 36ers.