The NZ Breakers delivered a gritty performance to overcome Cairns Taipans 77-69 in a physical encounter.
Guided by a balanced team effort, the Breakers out-rebounded the Taipans 43-34, and converted 21 second-chance points to secure a hard-fought victory at the Cairns Convention Centre on Saturday night.
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Matt Mooney earned player of the game, pacing the scoring with 15 points (5/16 FG, 2/8 3pt, 3/3 FT), three assists and three steals.
Point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright filled the stat-sheet with 11 points (3/11 FG, 5/5 FT), seven rebounds, five assists and a steal, while former Taipan Sam Mennenga chipped in with 12 points (5/11 FG, 2/6 3pt).
Import centre Freddie Gillespie, in possibly his final game with the Breakers, having reportedly signed with Olimpia Milano in Italy, had eight points and eight rebounds, while Mexican 'Next Star' Karim Lopez provided nine points.
The game was a battle from the outset, with Rob Edwards lighting up for a game-high 33 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
The Breakers led 52-42 at halftime, before a decisive 12-0 scoring run midway through the second half gave the Breakers a lead they would not surrender despite a push back from the hosts.
Cairns' Kiwi forward Sam Waardenburg was held to just five points, four rebounds, four assists and a block.
Head coach Petteri Koponen said he was proud of how his side responded after last week’s tough loss to the JackJumpers.
“We wanted to play collectively from the beginning. We had a solid contribution from the bench and it’s been like that all season. These guys have been amazing and play for each other,” he said.
“It wasn’t always pretty but we found a way. It’s never easy to win on the road and this was a good bounce back after last week. Now we will head home to rest a little physically and mentally and come back firing.”
The Breakers (7-3) now head into the FIBA international break before their next game on the road against the Illawarra Hawks on Thursday, November 28 (tip-off 9.30pm NZ Time).
NZ Breakers 77 (Matt Mooney 15, Sam Mennenga 12, Parker Jackson-Cartwright 11) Cairns Taipans 69 (Rob Edwards 33, Akoldah Gak 11). 1Q: 28-23, HT: 52-42, 3Q: 63-59