Basketball: Chappell answers Breakers' prayers

Mike Chappell made an immediate impact for the New Zealand Breakers as he helped them to their first ever away win in the Australian National Basketball League (ANBL) last night.

The new American import, who only joined the team this week in place of Casey Frank and Brad Williams, top scored for the Breakers with 22 points as they pipped the Hunter Pirates 104-101 in Newcastle.

The Pirates, with just one win this season, may be the only team below the Breakers on the points table but they came out firing to lead 40-22 at the end of the first quarter.

However, the Breakers turned things around incredibly in the second stanza to hold their opponents to just nine points and had taken a 53-49 lead at halftime.

The Breakers managed to just kept their noses in front from there with 17 points from Dillon Boucher and Phill Jones plus some clutch baskets at crucial times from Pero Cameron.

The Breakers will now take on the West Sydney Razorbacks in Sydney tonight (9.40pm NZT).