Basketball: Breakers snap losing streak

BREAKERS 93 CROCODILES 79

The New Zealand Breakers breathed some life into their ailing Australian National Basketball League season with an 93-79 win over the Townsville Crocodiles at Christchurch tonight.

The home side overcame an 11-point deficit midway through the third quarter to snap a six-game losing streak.

A hot period inspired by guards Lindsay Tait and Phill Jones late in the third quarter and early in the fourth brought the crowd at the Westpac Centre alive.

The visitors, kept at arm's length for most of the final quarter, closed to within three points inside the final three minutes but fell away in the closing exchanges.

The Breakers fell behind in the early stages, trailing 16-18 after the first quarter and 37-43 at halftime. The scores were locked 60-60 at three-quarter time.

Jones top-scored for the Breakers with 25 points and was a key figure in the second half, which his side won 56-36.

The Breakers improved their record to seven wins and 17 losses but remain 11th in the 12-team competition, still one place behind the Crocodiles.

- NZPA