The point guard had a hand in everything positive the Breakers put together in the opening half, grabbing 14 points on four-of-six shooting and helping his side to a scarcely-believable 23-point lead at halftime. And when the Wildcats produced their inevitable fightback, reducing the deficit to five in the final minutes, it was Jackson who made a number of key plays.
"Last time he was with the club, I was watching from afar and I just really appreciated the things he could do on the basketball court," said assistant coach Paul Henare.
"But to see it first hand, in such a big game, there's a reason why he's really feared by other teams.
"He's an exceptional athlete and a hell of a competitor. He was up for this game. You could tell on Monday in training that he was up for a big game and up for a big challenge. And he delivered."
Jackson ended the night with five assists, five rebounds and led all scorers with 22 points, finding his range in making three-of-five from beyond the arc.
"A guy like Cedric stands out it in so many different ways," Henare said.
"He gets rebounds, he gets steals, he gets assists and he scores. When he's knocking down his three-ball, he's near impossible to guard. I think he automatically comes with a reputation.
"He's a proven winner and a proven performer in this competition. He was huge for us but by no means was it a one-man show."
Henare is correct on that count. Joining Jackson in excelling in the Breakers back-court was Rhys Carter, another new addition.
Carter includes Perth among his 10 clubs in a 12-year career and, the way he attacked the Wildcats in his first shift on the court, it looked like he had a point to prove.
The 30-year-old made three of his first four attempts from deep before finishing with 14 points off the bench, but Carter's scoring was only one facet that Henare highlighted.
"We had a pretty good start but, once he came into the game, he opened it up with some great decision-making. Yes, he made some shots, but the seven assists he had over the course of the game were real key plays."
Rounding out the trio of influential recruits - and rounding out the Breakers' top three scorers - was Nigerian centre Ekene Ibekwe. The Breakers targeted size, speed and athleticism in their search for imports and, in Ibekwe, appear to have found the complete package.
The big man and his 2.29m wingspan was a constant menace under the hoop, collecting 10 points and seven rebounds in his impressive debut.
"Ekene showed why Deano recruited him," Henare said.
