Breakers 101
Tigers 91
A vintage defensive display from Dillon Boucher and Kirk Penney's hot hand got the Breakers home for a sixth-straight ANBL victory on the North Shore last night.
It was never going to be the walkover the on-paper match-up suggested, but the Breakers wouldn't have expected to out-rebounded, out-passed and dominated in the post in front of a fired-up Friday night crowd.
For much of the game, Tigers forward Cameron Tragardh had his way with the Breakers under the hoop. Gary Wilkinson, Mika Vukona and Alex Pledger had few answers to the Tigers big man, who racked up 30 points in little over three quarters.
Boucher, though, had the answers, shutting Tragardh down completely as the Breakers stormed home in the fourth quarter.
It was just the sort of contest Boucher relishes. A gaping head wound collected when drawing a charge from Corey Williams only kept him out of the fray for long enough for a bandage to be strapped to his head.
Penney's vintage shooting display - 24 points and 5/7 three pointers - kept the Breakers in it, but the star shooting guard was quick to pay tribute to Boucher.
"Dillon's performance [last night] was just awesome," Penney said. "There was blood spilling out of the back of his head but it didn't faze him. He was like a loosie out there - put on the tape and Zinzan Brooke is back. He did an outstanding job for us. He loves it when it's physical and he can mix it with the bigger guys. He's usually undersized, but he always finds ways to get an advantage."
The win took the Breakers to 16-3, two short of the club record of 18 in 2008/09 and within spitting distance of booking a playoff spot. Depending on other results that achievement could come as early as next week's visit by the slumping Perth Wildcats.
A quicker and more purposeful Tigers side than has visited these shores of late dominated the opening exchanges. While talented Williams pulled the strings superbly, Tragardh was near unstoppable close to the hoop, the big forward pouring in 21 first-half points. Midway through the opening quarter the visitors led 27-16, but the game changed when Penney drew a charge from Williams, with the point guard forced to sit after picking up a third personal foul.
Williams' departure coincided with a 9-0 run that brought the Breakers within two points.
But the comeback faltered and the Tigers led by nine late in the second quarter when Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis called a time-out.
Whatever he said worked, with the Breakers launching a storming 14-2 run to lead for the first time.
The Tigers regained the ascendancy in the third quarter, with the Williams-Tragardh double act again doing the damage.
Tragardh finally met his match when Boucher began guarding him, the veteran shutting out his taller opponent as the Breakers mounted a 6-0 run to start the quarter.
Boucher then drew a charge on Williams that saw both players head for the benches - Williams because of a fourth foul and Boucher with blood pouring from a head wound.
A bandaged Boucher quickly returned with the Breakers holding a lead they would not relinquish.
Tragardh ended with 35 points, with Williams contributing 18 for the visitors.
For the Breakers, Wilkinson backed Penney's 24 points with 22, while CJ Bruton had 18 including a clutch fourth quarter three that finally killed off the Tigers.
