Breakers 114
Hawks 93
KEY POINTS:
Kirk Penney scored a career-high 41 points as the Breakers recovered from a slow start to win their opening match of the ANBL season at the North Shore Events Centre last night.
Just 10 of Penney's points came in the first half and he missed his first three three-point attempts as the Breakers struggled to get up to speed. But the star shooting guard caught fire in the second half, nailing five third-quarter threes as the Breakers finally got on top of the tenacious Wollongong Hawks.
While their defence struggled at times, particularly in the first half, there was plenty to like about the Breakers' first-up effort.
Star recruit C. J. Bruton will have better games for his new club but the point guard still added a new dimension to the side, scoring 15 points to go with five assists and three steals.
Import centre Rick Rickert made an impressive return from back injury, notching a 13-point 12-rebound double-double that included six offensive boards.
Former Tall Black Dillon Boucher also made a successful return to his former club, providing some much needed hustle as the Breakers gained sway in the second half.
The Auckland side started well enough, responding to an opening Hawks basket with an eight-point run.
Bruton didn't take long to make an impression on his new club's fans, nailing his first three-pointer after just 80s to get the Breakers on the board.
But the Hawks were having little trouble penetrating the Breakers' defence and they soon took the lead, rattling on 26 points to lead by five at quarter time. The Hawks weren't exactly in vintage shooting touch, but they hardly needed to be, most of their early points coming through simple lay-ups or from the free-throw line.
Ten second-quarter points from Phill Jones helped keep the Breakers in it and they went to halftime trailing by just a point.
Three-point shooting should be one of the Breakers' strengths this season but after early bombs from Bruton and Oscar Forman they struggled for the rest of the half, connecting with just four of 13 attempts.
Import Dusty Rychart was the chief early contributor for the Hawks with 12 first-half points, while Boomers forward Glen Saville had 10.
Penney started the second half with his first three of the night and he added four more in rapid succession as the Breakers twice eked out a six-point lead.
The Saville and Rychart double act kept the Hawks in it and heading into the third quarter they trailed by just four.
But when Forman found his touch from long range with a brace of threes the Breakers finally kicked clear, eventually posting 35 points in a rampant final quarter.
The blowout in the closing stages allowed coach Andrej Lemanis to go deep into his bench. Young local product Thomas Abercrombie was particularly impressive, nailing a three-pointer with his first shot before finishing the game with a neat lay-up.
The Breakers face a tougher test next week when the defending champion Melbourne Tigers come to town.
