Basketball: Hawks beat Breakers

The New Zealand Breakers fouled themselves out of tonight's Australian National Basketball League match against the Wollongong Hawks in Auckland.

They conceded so many penalties that they went off the boil after an energetic first half to collapse in the second and eventually lose 92-111.

Co-captain Pero Cameron had four fouls just after halftime and centre Ben Pepper collected his third, putting them on notice and keeping the attack quiet in physical terms throughout the last two periods.

They have yet to beat the Hawks.

Mat Campbell top-scored with 27 and Darnell Mee delivered 20, the visitors shooting well from inside and outside the arc.

The Breakers stayed with the Hawks through the first quarter and at one stage went on a 10-point run, with Shawn Redhage providing plenty of impact from the bench to give them to a 31-30 lead.

In the second spell, however, the visitors' core combinations started to fire and they made a 10-point streak, Darnell Mee taking three steals and scoring off each of them. They went into halftime leading 58-53 and knowing they had absorbed plenty of pressure and were still able to get on top of their opponents.

The Hawks took a 13-point lead early in the third quarter and were never troubled after that, extending it to as many as 25. They led 87-65 after the third quarter.

Campbell was left open too often and while the Breakers' defence was enthusiastic, the Hawks outsmarted them with variations.

Coach Frank Arsego called time-out with four minutes to go, 22 points behind, but the late spark was too late.

Key scorer Mike Chappell must still be troubled by his ankle injury because he looked short of his usual contribution.

Aaron Olson started slowly before hitting his range. The Hawks shut down Redhage as the game progressed and with Cameron and Pepper on eggshells they were never going to get home.

Wollongong Hawks 111 (Mat Campbell 27, Darnell Mee 20) bt NZ Breakers 92 (Shawn Redhage 16, Dillon Boucher 16.

Quarter-time: Breakers 31-30

Halftime: Hawks 58-53

Three-quarter time: Hawks 87-65.

- NZPA