Nevill was Wollongong’s best player in the 82-77 defeat of the Kings, racking up 14 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and two steals in an inspired 22-minute effort off the bench.

The 2.18m centre attributed his power-packed display to a midweek disscussion with his coach.

‘‘I just had to be aggressive,’’ Nevill said.

‘‘I had a meeting with Gordie last week and he said ‘hey just be selfish sometimes when you’re down low. Look for the pass but if you’ve got the ball anywhere around the basket just take it yourself. You’re bigger than everyone, just go up strong’. I just tried to play through contact and if I was getting guarded I just dished it off to my teammates and they were knocking down shots, so it was good.’’

Wollongong’s victory was just their third of the season but their second in three games.

‘‘The Townsville game we won two games ago was the spark we needed to ignite our season and we’ve been playing well since then,’’ Nevill said.

‘‘We played well in Perth and if we come with energy and play like we know we can play, we’re going to be in every game.’’

Nevill hit 7/12 field goals, including a clutch jump-shot from the top of the key which provided a precious four-point lead with a minute to play. Moments later he rejected the shot of Sydney’s Kendrick Perry.

‘‘What we did defensively tonight sort of suited him. He was in the right place and changed a lot of shots for us,’’ McLeod said after the win.

‘‘The offensive rebounding he helped us with was really big.’’

Nevill’s teammates were quick to acknowledge his assertive performance.

‘‘Luke was huge in the middle and that really changed the game for us,’’ guard Rhys Martin said.

‘‘It’s good having Luke behind you with the way he was tonight,’’ captain Oscar Forman said.

‘‘He was changing shots and getting blocks, he was big on the boards and was being a big presence inside.’’

Wollongong’s win went a small way toward easing the pain of a 29-point thumping from Sydney in round five.

The Kings dropped a spot to fifth and take on Perth (home) and Melbourne (away) this week.

‘‘To give up 31 points in the fourth, you’re not going to win too many games at this level against anybody,’’ Sydney coach Damian Cotter said.

‘‘You have to give Wollongong all due respect. They did a good job defensively taking us out of our rhythm. They’re pretty good, I don’t care what their record says. They’ve got talent and they’re going to cause problems for teams at the back end of the year.’’