Basketball: Breakers look to next season

By PETER JESSUP


The Breakers' season now comes down to a character-building exercise after they were out-muscled by the Townsville Crocs 96-80 in a physical encounter that left the home side out of the playoffs.

With eight games to play, the task for coach Frank Arsego and his side is to remain positive and focused on winning while continuing to learn for the 2004/05 season.

Arsego said he would not tolerate a mentality that losing didn't matter.

"I won't accept that from anyone, and if anyone does go down that road, they're not worthy of having a chance in the team. We have to have the right attitude even when things are tough."

They were tough on Saturday night at the North Shore Events Centre in a grabbing-and-holding game where scoring came slowly, and fatigue and frustration boiled over with four minutes to go in the last quarter when most players engaged in a push-and-shove match.

It was sparked by an altercation between Breakers captain Pero Cameron and Crocs guard Mike Kelly.

Arsego blamed match officials for allowing the tension to build and Kelly for over-stepping the mark.

"The physicality of it went beyond a normal game of basketball and I thought that favoured the Crocs," Arsego said. "We couldn't create the opportunities we needed in that environment."

Phill Jones was the star of Wednesday night's win over the Crocs, but on Saturday he was shut down. Mike Chappell was another well-marked, his scoring cut to three of eight shots from within the arc and four of nine from beyond.

Cameron sunk two from 10, and the team's shooting success rate was 27 from 81 - 33 per cent, compared to the Crocs' 36 of 87, or 41 per cent.

If ever there was a game where the Breakers needed Dillon Boucher's bump this was it, but he played only 11 minutes, struggling with a back injury that may keep him out of this Saturday's game against the Hunter Pirates.

Centre Ben Melmeth had 18 minutes, landed only two of nine field goal attempts, but pulled down a game-high seven rebounds.

Weakened without Boucher, the Breakers were out-rebounded 59-32.

Arsego conceded that the playoffs were a reward for consistency and with a seven-win, 17-loss record, the Breakers did not deserve that bonus. But they had to keep playing as if that's where they were aiming.

"We have to play well. I still believe there's a lot we can learn and take from this season, and if we can do something to shape the eight [by defeating playoff contenders] then that will be an achievement in itself."

The Crocs' top-scorers were their veterans Pat Reidy and Robert Rose, with 25 and 21 points respectively, and Arsego gave them credit for directing the win.

"When they needed someone to take them over the line those two did it. That's what we need - when we grind out a game and come down to the last minutes we need players to step up and take us over the line."