An inspired Townsville Crocodiles outfit have scored their second consecutive win, coming from behind to surprise the ladder-leading Perth Wildcats 88-75 in Townsville.
For the home side, floor leader Steve Markovic was again brilliant, compiling a balanced 22 points and six assists and handling the intense pressure of Damian Martin all night.
Wildcats forward Jesse Wagstaff almost proved the Crocodiles' kryptonite, notching a game high 24 points, backed up by James Ennis with 15 on 4-of-13 shooting.
With the first quarter an up-tempo encounter, the tone was set early in the second term when the visitors threatened to bust it open the same way they did last week against Melbourne - with defence.
An 8-1 mid-quarter run had them up 40-33 and looking to expand, but Crocs stalwart Markovic had other ideas.
A crucial triple then two free throws had the home side within two, who then converted to a 50-45 lead after a half memorable for Todd Blanchfield's flying tip-jam.
But in the third stanza, where the home side could not afford to blink, they did - conceding a 16-2 run to a swarming Wildcats defence.
And when Wagstaff tripled, the visitors had turned a five-point deficit into a nine-point lead in just over five minutes.
Again, the Crocodiles didn't fall in a heap, chipping the margin away to a 66-62 margin at three-quarter-time.
The Wildcats threatened to pull away once more with the first two buckets of the period, but something sparked the home side.
Aided by inspired play from Markovic, Blanchfield and Pace, the Crocodiles then put on an inconceivable 22-3 run to have them ahead 84-75 with under a minute remaining.
The cool headed home side then made their free throws and Brian Conklin put the exclamation mark on the win with an open-court dunk that had the raucous crowd out of their seats.
