Breakers Go To 4-1
Hayden Wood, Sportal
The New Zealand Breakers have outgunned the under strength Gold Coast Blaze 120-108 at the North Shore Events Centre on Thursday night.
The Blaze entered this game with injury concerns and a player short as forward Scott McGregor did not make the trip across the Tasman after a slight tear sustained in his calf did not recover in time, while fellow forward Juaquin Hawkins did not play after revealing he had a bone spur in his heel.
Kirk Penney top scored for the Breakers with 29 points, while Rick Rickert and CJ Bruton chipped in with 22 points apiece and Phill Jones 21.
Shane Heal (23 points) and Luke Whitehead (22 points) led the charge for the Blaze.
The first quarter saw each side testing out each other. They exchanged baskets and fouls in the first part of the stanza.
Oscar Forman picked up two early fouls for his defensive intensity. After the steady start, both coaches went to the bench as neither team could shake the other.
After an after the buzzer long range three was disallowed, the Breakers led at the first break 29-25.
Rickert and Penney lead the way with 12 and eight points respectively.
The second quarter followed the pattern of the first. Forman and Heal traded treys.
Forman then picked up his third and fourth personal fouls and was duly benched. Pero Cameron was also in early trouble with three.
Some slick passing saw Paul Henare finish off a lay-up to give the breakers a buffer of seven at 48 – 41 midway through the quarter and with two minutes to go Dillon Boucher picked up his fourth personal.
The Breakers led throughout the quarter but a late three by Tyson Demos drew the Blaze closer to trail by just two points at 59-57 at the major break.
The Blaze leveled it up with the first play of the second half. Casey Frank and Ben Melmeth picked up their fourth fouls inside the first minute to add problems for the already reduced inside presence.
A three-point shooting display by Heal, Penney and Bruton kept it tight as Cameron picked up his fourth foul.
Jones hit two big threes to put the Breakers back out in front, with Greg Vanderjagt fouling him on the second one which Jones converted for a six-point lead.
Heal kept directing play and keeping the Blaze close with the bigs rebounding and finishing well.
Vanderjagt also picked up his fourth with a loose foul which sent Bruton the line who converted both to put the Breakers up by two and when Henare dropped a buzzer beater three the Breakers’ lead was restored to four at 92-88.
The last quarter started steadily before a Jones three-point play took the Breakers out to an equal game high seven-point lead.
The Blaze came back with two quick buckets, before Rickert stamped his authority on the quarter by rejecting a shot and then ramming down a dunk.
With time running out the Blaze attempted to make a comeback, but when Bruton nailed a three with 60 seconds remaining, the home side had put the result beyond doubt.
The Breakers (4-1) head away on their first road trip to face off against Cairns on Wednesday night, while the Blaze (0-6) are also away to the Taipans this Saturday.
New Zealand Breakers 120 (Kirk Penney 29, Rick Rickert 22, CJ Bruton 22)
Gold Coast Blaze 108 (Shane Heal 23, Luke Whitehead 22, James Harvey 17)
Breakers vs Blaze Box Score (29KB html)
