Basketball: Shamed Breakers must raise game

By PETER JESSUP

Breakers coach Frank Arsego has put the acid on the players to respond to the humiliating defeat they suffered at the hands of the Brisbane Bullets mid-week.

Redemption is available tonight when they meet the Wollongong Hawks at the North Shore Events Centre, but it won't be easy, the Hawks having already beaten them 108-78 in Wollongong.

That night back in October it was three-point shooting that killed them, from Matt Campbell, just as it was three-point shots that allowed Brisbane to accumulate a 41-point lead against the Breakers in Hamilton on Wednesday.

Clearly, the defence needs some attention.

Also, the team needs a money-man to step up for them as others have been against them, Arsego said.

"Pretty well everything we learned after the loss to the Razorbacks was left in the dressing room," he said, "and the guys have to take responsibility for that."

The players had "taken a hit" and were embarrassed at the scoreline and the Bullets' record 23 of 35 shots from beyond the arc.

Other teams had scored well from out wide against them and that would continue until the players learned not to leave that option open.

"What's been hard for them to get their heads around is we did everything perfectly on the training track - I was quietly confident before the game - but the majority of that work didn't get taken into the game."

The coach didn't think the sacking of predecessor Jeff Green had any impact.

"If there was the chance for disruption from that it would have come in the Razorbacks game."

Brisbane did play particularly well, he said, fired by their own embarrassment, a 77-95 home defeat at the hand of the Cairns Taipans.

"They were clinical and ruthless."

Other teams had a go-to guy when things got tough, he said, and that person was standing up and shooting the three-pointers and ending the games.

"That's their experience, that's something we are still learning to do and we're still looking for that person who wants to step up," Arsego said.

Iona Enosa returns after a two-game suspension for a head-butt. Phill Jones had a shoulder strain but was expected to play.

Brisbane's star guard Stephen Black epitomised the difference in attitude and class between his basketball side and the Breakers.

He played a star role on Wednesday night.

In the first half, Black - just 1.86m tall - notched up an incredible 28 points on his own despite suffering from a stomach complaint. Immediately after the game he was vomiting in the changing room.

Black shot seven three-pointers, more than the entire Breakers side put together.

The heavy loss completed a week from hell for the Breakers.

The 41-point deficit was the biggest loss for any side this Australian NBL season and came two days after the resignation of Jeff Green.

NZ Breakers (likely): Pero Cameron (c), Ben Melmeth (vc), Paul Henare, Lindsay Tait, Phill Jones, Aaron Olson, Dillon Boucher, Paora Winitana, Brad Williams, Casey Frank, Iona Enosa, Blake Truslove.

Wollongong Hawks: Adam Caporn, Damon Lowery, Kane Riley-Henderson, Glen Saville, Darnell Mee, Troy Pilon, Axel Dench, Matt Campbell, Ben Knight, John Mueller.