Stat Line

Points C. Gliddon 24 (CRN), K. Johnson 18 (NZB), D. McCamey 17 (CRN)

Rebounds A. Pledger 8 (NZB), M. Young 8 (CRN), 2 with 6

Assists J. Wilson 5 (CRN), K. Johnson 5 (NZB), C. Gliddon 4 (CRN)

Steals K. Johnson 3 (NZB), S. Weigh 1 (CRN), C. Bruton 1 (NZB)

Blocks A. Pledger 2 (NZB), 3 with 1

How It Unfolded

Ah, so close! It all came down to the final play, Kerron driving towards a crowded basket, kicks it out to a wide open CJ Bruton, who’s misses the defining shot, and the Breakers go down by 1. It was always gonna be tough playing back to back, but the Breakers competed well early. The first half was a bit of an arm wrestle, with a lot of fouls, just as we saw last game. The kiwi team trailed after the first quarter, but rallied to take the lead briefly, before heading into the clubrooms tied up at 43. Just as with the Crocs game, the third quarter proved tough for the Breakers, and they fell to what proved to be an unassailable deficit. Cairns guard Cam Gliddon lit it up in the third, unleashing a barrage of threes. He would finish with a game high 24 points, to go with 4 rebounds and 4 assists in a match winning performance. Turnovers were still an issue, as with fouls, and but it was a much improved effort from the NZers. CJ Bruton came up strong, despite missing the game the night before with illness. He hit four three-pointers - more than the entire team managed in his absence - for 15 points, but it was the one he missed that will be remembered. The Breakers never led during the final stanza, but came so close to stealing the W. As is so often the case in this sport, just by sticking nearby on the scoreboard, they were able to give themselves a shot. Down by 3 with 48 secs left, the Breakers draw an unsportsmanlike foul before the inbounds pass, following a Bruton charge. He sinks both free throws, but the kiwi team fail to score on the ensuing possession. They get the stop at the other end though, giving them one last shot at victory, which culminates in Bruton’s missed game-winner. Overall, Kerron Johnson (18 pts, 5 ass, 3 ste 8/13 shooting) was the leading light once more for this team. Jeremiah Trueman showed good energy off the bench in a short spell too - keep an eye out for him through the season. The result sinks the defending champs to 1-2, with a home game against the impressive Perth Wildcats next.

Stocks Up

Mika Vukona didn’t foul out for the first time this season, and so was able to assert his presence down the stretch. He put up 15 points and 5 rebounds, keeping up his strong start to the year. Vukona is a leader on this team, and probably their most important defensive player. Plus the improvement in his finishing around the rim has been great. Vukona is athletic and strong, yet strangely awkward, which is always hard to defend. Kind of like Shawn ‘Matrix’ Marion in the NBA.

Stocks Down

Thomas Abercrombie only put up 11 points in this game, 5 of them from the line. He had 3 rebounds and 1 assist, all in 32 mins of play. It’s not that these are bad numbers, it’s just that this is a guy who can be so much more dominant than he is showing right now. The Breakers are missing his high scoring threat. Through 3 games, he’s averaging 14.7 ppg (boosted by his 19 in the opener), with only 2.3 rebounds. Tom didn’t hit a 3 pointer at all on this 2 game road stretch. In fact he didn’t even attempt one in Cairns. Hopefully there isn’t too much of a hangover from his NBA Summer League expedition.