Basketball: Breakers' playoff bid spoiled by hot Hawks

By JULIE ASH

The Breakers failed in their last-ditch attempt to secure a playoff spot in the Australian National Basketball league last night when they were beaten by the Wollongong Hawks 108-84 at the North Shore Events Centre.

To get a place in the top eight the Breakers now have to rely on the results of other teams, particularly those of the Adelaide 36ers, who are looking to edge out the Breakers for that final playoff spot.

"In the end we couldn't find a group of five guys to put the pressure on and gel," said Breakers coach Frank Arsego.

"We weren't playing well enough to exert pressure - there was a lack of effective bodies on court."

For the Hawks the win cements them in second place in the league behind the defending champions the Sydney Kings.

Hawks coach Brendan Joyce said that his side's ability to maintain their intensity and focus for four quarters was what won them the match.

"The Breakers played tremendously, I wondered when we were going to break them," he said.

"I think the key thing for us was our defence.

"We shut down Mike Chappell and kept Phill Jones out of the game."

Last night's match against the second placed Hawks was always going to be a tough one for the New Zealand side with key players Pero Cameron, Paul Henare and Dillon Boucher still reeling from the flu.

"Pero probably hasn't been firing on all cylinders all year," Joyce said.

"It is probably a bit of a learning curve for him. This is different from playing for New Zealand.

"You have to play night in and night out. They may have been surprised how tough this competition is."

While Henare started, Boucher was introduced late in the first quarter while Cameron did not take the court until just before the first quarter break.

Immediately, the Breakers were introduced to the Hawks' fast, physical and furious style.

The Hawks' defence through the towering figures of Glen Saville and Darnell Mee, was ruthless.

The Breakers also made some great steals and rebounds but weren't as clinical as the Hawks in converting them into points.

The Hawks led 28-22 at the first quarter, Cameron helped his opposition gain an extra point after he was penalised for an unsportsmanlike foul just before the break.

A lapse from the Breakers early in the second quarter allowed their opponents to extend their lead out to 11 but some sharp shooting from Mike Chappell got the Breakers back in the game and trailed the Hawks by just 52-48 at half time.

In the early stages of the third period the Breakers came within two but just as the Breakers started to close the Hawks would find another gear and extend their lead.

Going into the final quarter the Hawks led 76-69 but ran away with the match as the Breakers tired and more or less gave up, much to the disappointment of the record crowd of just over 4300 which turned out to support them in their last home game.

The Breakers next and possibly final match of the season is on February 28 against Adelaide.