Basketball: Breakers to face Bullets in ASB Arena warmup clash

BASKET TIME: Tom Abercrombie shoots another three for NZ Breakers against the Brisbane Bullets at ASB Arena last year. PHOTO: File

The outstanding facilities of ASB Arena will again be the setting for the NZ Breakers and the Brisbane Bullets in the final game of the ANBL preseason schedule.

The match on September 27 is hosted by the Tauranga-based HoopNation and will provide Bay of Plenty basketball fans with another opportunity to see top-class basketball on their home court.

HoopNation co-founders Paul Berridge and KJ Allen are excited to bring the Breakers back to Tauranga and expect a great crowd based on the growing popularity of basketball in the region.

"We look forward to putting on a fantastic night of family entertainment at a price that families can afford," Berridge said.

"It's inspiring for the aspiring young players who live in the region to see their heroes up close and in action and with so much talent in this region, we are sure there will be future Breakers players in the crowd."

NZ Breakers general manager Dillon Boucher said: "It is great to work with the team at HoopNation and bring a pre-season game to Tauranga again this season.

"Tauranga has a great venue and a great basketball following and we want to put on a great show for them by bringing the Brisbane Bullets to town in what will be our final preseason game before our season tips off on October 8."

Later in October over Labour Weekend the HoopNation basketball tournament returns to ASB Arena and also QEII Youth Centre this year because of record numbers involved.

For the first time U13 and U15 teams will compete alongside U15, U17, U19, Social, A-League and Elite divisions.

Berridge said the event was extremely important, adding to the momentum of the growth of basketball in the country.

"We really have an opportunity with the world-class facilities that we have in the Bay [ASB Arena] to open it up to more divisions. When this event first started out we only had four divisions back in 2011 so we have added the 13s and 15s to this year," he said.

"That was always a part of our plan and our vision for when we started this tournament and we are actually starting to achieve a lot of those things.

"We are around the 80-team mark which is huge. Last year we had 52 teams and we still have until the 10th of September before everything closes off."

In the Elite division some of the best ball players in the country will be in action.

"We are looking at current Tall Blacks, a couple of ex-Breakers players, NBL players and some of New Zealand's best junior talent coming up through the ranks," Berridge said.

Breakers Pre-Season Tour v Brisbane Bullets
September 27, ASB Arena
Tip off 7pm, curtain-raiser 5:30pm
Tickets Available from Ticketek
Adult Child
Gold $45 $30
Silver $30 $15
Bronze $25 $12
Restricted viewing $20 $10
Family Pass (2 adults and 2 children) $65
Corporate Hospitality available. Please contact paul@hoopnation.com for more details.