Basketball: Breakers end 2012 with a win

Cedric Jackson finished with 17 points and six assists. Photo / Getty Images

The New Zealand Breakers finally broke their New Years Eve drought with a 66-61 victory over the Cairns Taipans at the Cairns Convention Centre last night.

Having never won before on December 31, the league leaders and defending champions ended 2012 in style with their 10th win of the season.

Import Cedric Jackson once again led the way for the Breakers with 17 points and six assists while fellow American Will Hudson chipped in with 12 points and seven rebounds.

Jamar Wilson had a game-high 23 points for Cairns, but had little support from his teammates with Dusty Rychart the next best scorer with eight points.

The Breakers still took away the win despite a dreadful shooting display, making just 38 percent from the field and 48 percent from the free throw line. Cairns were equally woeful however scoring just eight points in the opening quarter to trail 16-8.

In a low scoring affair the Breakers led 35-24 at the break and took a 54-44 led into the final quarter before the Taipans finished strong to make the scoreline look somewhat respectable.

Bruton told Radiosport that getting the club's first New Year's Eve victory was a tough ask in front a near capacity crowd at the snake pit.

"It wasn't easy coming up here, especially coming from Adelaide after the fightback obviously. The crowd was outstanding and the Taipans (are) a team you've got to worry about, but I'm grateful for the boys, and we broke another hoodoo.''

The Breakers travel to Wollongong to face the third placed Wollongong Hawks on January 5, who will be looking to bounce back from a New Years hangover after falling to the seventh placed Melbourne Tigers 80-72 last night.

BREAKERS 66 (C Jackson 17 W Hudson 12 C Bruton 10) bt TAIPANS 61 (J Wilson 23 D Rychart 8 C Tragardh 6 S Edwards 6 A Loughton 6).

- nzherald.co.nz