Breakers better but go down again

The New Zealand Breakers slumped to an 89-93 loss to the Wollongong Hawks in Auckland tonight in another game where they failed to maintain intensity.

They trailed throughout but it was in the third quarter where they failed to match the visitors' scoring, allowing a break they couldn't run down.

Hawks centre Axel Dench was the destroyer with 29 points and again it was shots from beyond the arc that sunk the Breakers, Wollongong making 10 of 20 against the Breakers' seven of 12.

They competed well in all facets of the game, with turnovers favouring the Breakers 8-7 and rebounds 24-27, but while their shooting percentage was good, they simply didn't get off the number of shots the opposition created.

Phill Jones struggled with a calf injury.

At the end, when there was some chance to close up, the Hawks sunk their free-throws and the Breakers missed.