Breakers 118
36ers 80
KEY POINTS:
The Breakers gave their coach Andrej Lemanis his perfect 100th game for the club, annihilating the Adelaide 36ers in front of a near capacity crowd at the North Shore Events Centre last night.
Kirk Penney was rampant, scoring 34 to help the Breakers to the club's largest winning margin in the ANBL.
The franchise was determined to keep their unbeaten record this season intact and raced to a nine point lead at the end of the first quarter 23-14.
Defence was a key to the opening sequence, the 36ers finally getting on the scoreboard after taking time out with the score 11-0. Dillon Boucher was dynamic on the defensive rebounds feeding to Penney who scored at will, coming away with 16 points in the first half.
Penney kept up the pressure from the perimeter while Tony Ronaldson was a powerhouse under the post outgunning 36ers' Luke Schensher. Rick Ricket took over from Boucher in the second quarter taking seven rebounds. Shooting let the 36ers down - achieving only 34 per cent in the first half to the Breakers 51 per cent.
The Breakers led at halftime 55-34.
Penney set the second half alight with a three pointer and was all class with an long across court pass to Oscar Forman who slotted in an easy basket from the arc.
Brad Davidson found space from the outside to score a couple of three pointers to give some life back to the 36ers. However frustration crept into their game, leading to a technical foul which Phill Jones took advantage of, the Breakers leading 88-59 going into the final quarter.
Ricket was fouled out with eight minutes remaining after taking his seventh double double in his 14 appearances, with 10 points and 10 rebounds
CJ Brunton and Penney hammered the 36ers in the final quarter. Corey Webster had the opportunity of some court time in the final few moments.
The biggest crowd in three years of 3200 gave Lemanis and the team a standing ovation. The Breakers play Cairns Taipans next Thursday at home.
