Breakers 100 Blaze 79
The Breakers broke out of their two-game slump with a thumping victory over the struggling Gold Coast Blaze on the North Shore last night.
Restored to the starting line-up for the first time this season, star shooting guard Kirk Penney responded with a game-high 24 points to guide the Breakers to the most routine of victories.
CJ Bruton and Gary Wilkinson each had 14 points, while Corey Webster marked his return to the side following a virus in style, producing a withering burst of first-half scoring as the Breakers rediscovered their offensive mojo.
Having posted a franchise record low 57 points just six days ago in an ugly defeat to the Hawks, the Breakers blasted past that mark just 54 seconds into the second half.
The 100 points they finally totalled was a season-high, eclipsing the previous mark of 93.
While those points may have come against a Blaze side that appeared to regard rebounding and perimeter defence as unnecessary burdens, there was no doubt the Breakers were a vastly more fluent unit with Penney back in his customary role and playing his customary 30-plus minutes.
The win ensured the Breakers maintain their grip on second place, behind the pace-setting Wollongong Hawks.
The club now has a 10-day gap in its schedule before a trip to Sydney to face the struggling Kings.
Having last week shot so poorly they would have struggled to hit a barn door with an elephant gun, the Breakers made a near-perfect start to dispel any lingering wobbles. CJ Bruton knocked down a three after just 18 seconds to get the ball rolling, sparking a run that saw the Breakers score from their first six possessions to race to a 14-1 lead.
The Blaze had yet to show their hand, but when they did it was clear the main threat would come on the fast break, primarily from import Ira Clarke.
The American twice burned the Breakers as the Blaze hit back with a 6-0 run before closing to within three points late in the quarter.
The Breakers closed the quarter with a six-point lead, but a barrage of three-pointers, firstly from Corey Webster and then from Penney, quickly saw the lead extend well into double figures.
With Tom Abercrombie also zeroing in from long range the Breakers led by as much as 20.
A late Titans rally capped by three-pointers from Mark Worthington and Chris Goulding closed the gap to 11 at half-time, however the Breakers were still well in control.
Penney led the team with 14 for the half, while Webster backed him with 11, including 3/3 three-pointers.
The only real concern for the Breakers was a 7-14 foul count, which allowed the Blaze to convert 15/20 free throws while the home side went to the line just four times. Bruton had a particularly rough half, with three quick fouls limiting him to just 2.53m of court time.
But the lone Australian on the roster emerged for the second half and began in exactly the same fashion as the first, knocking down a three from the corner.
That sparked an 11-2 run to open the quarter that pushed the Breakers out to a comfortable 19-point margin.
This time there was no Blaze rally, with the Breakers cruising into the fourth quarter with the game in hand.
