New point guard Edgar Sosa applied the finishing touch as the New Zealand Breakers beat the Cairns Taipans 77-75 in a tight start to the pre-season NBL Blitz tournament in Victoria.
Dominican Republic international Sosa nailed a jump shot with 51 seconds remaining which proved the game-winning basket.
Otherwise, it was the Breakers' New Zealand core that proved most effective on Thursday. Forward Thomas Abercrombie sunk some vital three-pointers in the final quarter on the way to a 21-point haul, while Kirk Penney finished with 12 points and Alex Pledger nabbed 11 rebounds.
Abercrombie said his own game had benefited from some extra rest during the offseason.
"It was a pretty messy game for the most part so it was good we could show a little poise in the fourth quarter and scrape out a win," he said.
