Basketball: Rude awakening for Breakers

SYDNEY - The New Zealand Breakers completed their Australian tour with a subdued 79-114 loss to the Victoria Giants in Dandenong, Victoria, last night.

In the second game of back-to-back pre-season encounters, before the start of the Australian NBL next week, they competed through out.

They had scored an excellent 106-87 win in Victoria the previous night over the Melbourne Tigers but they came back to earth with a thump.

The Giants, who have made a number of significant recruitment in the off season, raced out to a 36-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.

They extended the advantage to 33 points by halftime and while the Breakers fought back to trail 85-60 at the end of the third quarter, the hosts pulled away again in the final 12 minutes.

"We worked really hard to turn in a good third quarter and if we'd matched that effort in the final quarter it would have been a respectable performance playing back-to-back," coach Jeff Green said.

"We only played one quarter well enough."

"It was a huge lesson of what to expect every week in the Australian league and one that the players I think will have burning in their minds right up to tip off against the Adelaide 36ers in game one next week."

Impressive centre Ben Melmeth led the way for the Breakers with 16 points and nine rebounds while US import Casey Frank added 15 points and five boards.

Imported forward Adam Ballinger led all scorers with an impressive 27 points for the Giants, netting 4 from 6 three point shots as the hosts hurt the Breakers from long range.

The Breakers will play their first NBL game when they host the Adelaide 36ers at the North Shore Events Centre on October 1.

Victoria Giants 114 (Adam Ballinger 27, Greg Blake 14, Gary Boodnikoff 14)

NZ Breakers 79 (Ben Melmeth 16, Casey Frank 15, Phill Jones 11)

- NZPA