Basketball: Breakers put heat on Pepper

By PETER JESSUP

The Breakers are on the verge of signing Victoria Giants centre Ben Pepper, who made a visit to Auckland at the weekend.

Pepper, 28, 112kg and 2.13m, is one of the biggest players in the league and is being chased by several franchises after Victoria announced it would sit out next season and put all the roster on the free-agent list.

The interest in him follows a decision that American Frank Barr does not fit the mix the Breakers want for 2004/05.

Barr has raised Taranaki's fortunes in the local league, four wins from five since he arrived, and he will stay to see out the domestic season with the Mountain Airs who play North Harbour, Hawkes Bay and Canterbury and still have a chance of making the playoffs.

There are around 100 players on the free list, though some such as Harbour's centre Axel Dench are in negotiations with current clubs. Pepper's Victoria team-mate Hawkes Bay guard Gary Boodnikoff has signed with Cairns.

Pepper has played briefly in the NBL with Tab Baldwin's Auckland team. Last season, he returned his best statistics in the Australian league, scoring 556 points at an average 17 across 32 games. His career average is 10.4, six rebounds, with 51 per cent accuracy from the field and 74 per cent at the free-throw line.

The Breakers appreciated the big commitment from Barr to come out here from Philadelphia on trial but in the end decided that, while tall enough, he might not be sufficiently resilient to take the pounding he would attract in the Australian league.

Pepper has agreed to terms verbally and contracts will be drawn up this week. His signing is a big coup for the Breakers who will continue to look for a power forward to beef up the front line and are still able to sign another American to join Mike Chappell.

The weekend's results again underlined how even the competition is, with six sides still within two points on the table and seven including Taranaki in contention for the four playoff spots. The Hawks had one-from-two in Auckland, going down 73-72 to a free-throw from Casey Frank 12 seconds from time against the Stars on Friday then hammering Harbour 81-62. New boy Scott McGregor scored 18 against Auckland and 16 against Harbour. The Stars kept league MVP Adrian Majstrovich quiet for 14, but he top-scored with 21 against the Heat.

New Breakers signing Lindsay Tait was the Stars' best. Frank was also good as they ran out to a 50-37 break before a third-quarter malaise set in and the Hawks closed the gap.

Imports Dench and Purnell Perry contributed well for the Heat on Saturday but the rest of the team did not.

Nelson scored the last 10 points of the game to overtake and beat Waikato 71-67, with Phill Jones best at 22 and Ed Book scoring 17 and taking 10 rebounds.

Australian Andrew Goodwin made his debut for the Titans in replacing the injured Geordie Cullen and scored eight with four rebounds in limited time. Mike Chappell top-scored with 24.

Yesterday the Saints beat the Titans 88-86 with Brendon Polyblank shooting 17 points.

In Christchurch the Rams thrashed the Nuggets 101-74.

That leaves Auckland at the top with the Saints and the Hawks on 20 points, then the Titans, the Giants and the Jets level in second on 18.

In the women's national league the Wildcats pipped the Nelson Sparks 70-68 and in Wellington the Breakers beat the Swish 72-69.