Match Report DEC 13

The BNZ Breakers saw their three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday night, falling 92-80 to the South East Melbourne Phoenix. The damage was done by Phoenix captain Nathan Sobey, who produced an explosive, season-high 36-point masterclass that included seven three-pointers to sink the visitors.

SEM are the most prolific three-point shooting team in the league and made 14 from 41 from beyond the arc at 34%.

The fixture was held out in the Australian regional basketball heartland of Traralgon, a town in Victoria's Gippsland region situated approximately two hours east of Melbourne.

Despite dominating the glass 54-42, the Breakers could not capitalize on their extra possessions. While the Phoenix shot the lights out (34% from deep), the Breakers’ offense stagnated, converting just 5 of 24 attempts from beyond the arc.

Rob Baker II was the exception to the norm, making 3 from 5 from beyond the arc as his 16 points carried him beyond the 200 points mark for the season. Parker Jackson-Cartwright also scored 16 points, the diminutive point guard coming up with 9 rebounds to accompany 6 assists.

Tai Webster scored 10 points (5/8FG), Sam Mennenga tallied 9 points and 9 rebounds, while the normally efficient Izaiah Brockington and Karim López combined for just 5 from 21 shooting for 12 and 8 points, respectively.

Despite a confused start that saw Rob Loe accidentally take the court with the starters, Sam Mennenga opened the scoring with a corner three for the BNZ Breakers.

A couple of scores from Webster gave the Breakers an 18-17 advantage, but back-to-back threes from danger man Sobey gave the Phoenix a 26-20 lead after ten minutes.

Baker and Jackson-Cartwright combined for the first six points of the second period to tie proceedings until the Phoenix quickly retook the lead and held the advantage until a Webster drive and finish put the Breakers ahead 39-37.

Sobey had the final say of the half – the only player in double figures (16 points) carried the hosts to a 44-41 lead. Webster and Brockington were the best of the Breakers with 8 points each.

Despite Baker making a triple the Phoenix reeled off 18 points in four minutes to establish a 62-51 advantage. Carlin Davison registered his first points, but it was a period in which the Phoenix made six triples and they were in a strong position at three-quarter time with a 71-62 lead.

The task became insurmountable early in the fourth as Nathan Sobey drained his sixth triple, extending the deficit to 13 points (78-65) and forcing a timeout from coach Petteri Koponen. Young star Karim López provided a spark with back-to-back scores on the resumption, the visitors were unable to threaten a late charge.

While competitive in many facets of the game, particularly dominating the rebound count, the BNZ Breakers ultimately could not overcome the Phoenix’s perimeter precision or the energy of the partisan home crowd at the Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium in Traralgon. The unique regional atmosphere provided a distinct home-court advantage that the Phoenix leveraged to close out the contest 92-80.

The Breakers must now regroup as their road trip intensifies with a further three away games. They head north to face the Cairns Taipans on December 19, followed by the Brisbane Bullets (December 22) and a Boxing Day clash with the Tasmania JackJumpers. The team finally returns to Spark Arena on January 4 to host the Perth Wildcats.

Result:

BNZ Breakers 80 – Baker II 16pts, Jackson-Cartwright 16pts & 9rebs, Brockington 12pts, Webster 10pts  

South East Melbourne Phoenix 92 - Sobey 36pts, Hunter 12pts, Maldonado 10pts, Brown 10pts