Breakers 100
Crocodiles 86
DARWIN - Life after Kirk Penney - if that is what the Breakers are facing - might not be so grim.
Last night at the pre-season Top End Challenge in Darwin a new basketball star emerged, with import forward Gary Wilkinson leading the way in an impressive come-from-behind victory over the Townsville Crocodiles.
Wilkinson doesn't look like much. At 206cm he's not among the bigger forwards in the league. He's not overly athletic. But he is effective.
A deft shooter and passer, he racked up 24-points - including a game-wining fourth quarter burst - and eight rebounds. He also held his own on defence against towering opposite Luke Schenscher.
"Gary was good [last night]," coach Andrej Lemanis said.
"He can certainly shoot it, that is something we knew. But he did a good job at the defensive end and on the boards. The thing about Gary is he wants to do well. It was a good outing but it is one game, it is pre-season so we won't get too excited."
After half a season of Awvee Storey last year, Breakers fans might just get excited. Wilkinson's 24 points included four of six three-pointers, suggesting he is much more of a shooting threat than the departed Rick Rickert.
Tom Abercrombie was the other standout as the Breakers overcame an early 12-point deficit to win handsomely.
Abercrombie, who will carry much of the burden of replacing Penney as the club's talisman, notched 20 points to go with eight rebounds and three assists.
Penney is due to hold a conference call with media today to provide an update on how his NBA trial with San Antonio is progressing, but is not expected to reveal any concrete information either way.
Lemanis is preparing for life without him by not changing much at all.
"We will still play the same style," Lemanis said. "It is not like Kirk is a seven footer so the style is not an issue. Right now the job is to build the confidence so we can win without Kirk. We need to build with this group as if Kirk is not going to come back and if he does it is a bonus and he will fit straight into the style."
The Breakers made a slow start to trail 18-30 at the end of the first quarter. But with Wilkinson, Kevin Braswell and Abercrombie making their presence felt they rallied to tie up the match at halftime.
The Crocs pulled four clear early in the third quarter but an 8-0 Breakers run capped by a Braswell three reversed that situation.
Five straight points from Mika Vukona stretched that lead to seven before a Peter Crawford three on the buzzer cut it back to four at three-quarter time.
The fourth quarter was all the Breakers, with their sizeable win placing them in a strong position heading into the second day.
