Match Report Dec 26

The BNZ Breakers have snapped a three-game losing streak in dramatic fashion, beating the Tasmania Jack Jumpers in Hobart, winning a gritty 81-80 overtime thriller. The win keeps the Breakers (8-13) in seventh position on the NBL ladder and only one win outside a play-off berth.

 

With the scores locked at 71-71 after 40 minutes of relentless battle, the game headed into extra time to decide a winner. BNZ Breakers stars Sam Mennenga and Parker Jackson-Cartwright delivered their most heroic contributions, leading the Breakers to a critical one-point win.

 

After the hosts made the first score in the extra period, Mennenga carried the scoring load for the Breakers with eight straight points and when Parker Jackson-Cartwright carved through the Tassie defence to make a tough layup with 1:04 to play the Breakers had an 81-78 advantage.

 

Staunch defence, with Rob Baker II and Karim López to the fore, in the closing seconds restricted Tasmania to a close range basket made as the full-time siren sounded which was not enough to deny the Breakers a critical victory.

 

Mennenga finished with a team high 20 points, on 10 from 14 shooting, to accompany 7 rebounds while Jackson-Cartwright put together an extraordinary stats line of 17 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds and 4 steals – his sixth double-double of the season.

 

NBL Next Star López, ranked number 11 on a recent 2026 NBA Mock Draft, scored 13 points (5/9FG), Baker and Reuben Te Rangi contributed 8 points each with Tai Webster adding 7 points.

 

Bryce Hamilton led the way for the Jack Jumpers with 23 points, Nick Marshall added 10 rebounds to 15 points while skipper Will Magnay and Tyger Campbell scored 10 points each.

 

Earlier, a thunderous dunk by Mennenga over opposite number Magnay was the highlight of the Breakers opening 9-point salvo.

 

Fresh off an impressive 19-point win at Melbourne United, the JackJumpers scored the next seven points but a brace of threes from Baker helped the Breakers to a 25-18 lead at quarter time.

 

Tasmania scored the first five points of the second frame ahead of the Breakers making the next six. In a topsy-turvy spell the JackJumpers went on another run to pull within a single point (31-30). Breakers Head Coach Petteri Koponen, coaching his 50^th Breakers game, called a timeout.

 

A López dunk off a Jackson-Cartwright pass and a Mennenga tip-in (the Breakers centre had a team high 10 points in the half) kept the margin at one-point – the Breakers ahead 37-36 at half-time.

 

The second half opened in identical fashion to the first with a López And-1 play, Jackson-Cartwright then made a couple of timely plays as the two teams battled for supremacy.

 

The Westlake Boys alumni Rob Loe and Webster made consecutive baskets although Tasmania scored the last five points of the period to lead 55-51 at three-quarter time.

 

In a gripping finish the lead changed hands five times in the last three minutes before Jackson-Cartwright pulled the Breakers level (71-71) with 37 seconds to play. Both teams missed scoring opportunities in the final thirty seconds – the excitement and tension ramped up even further in the additional five minutes. 

 

The Breakers now return home for a pair of home games at Spark Arena. First game is a Sunday afternoon game with long-time rivals Perth Wildcats on January 4, followed by a visit from the in-form Sydney Kings on January 9.

 

Result:

BNZ Breakers 81 - Mennenga 20pts, Jackson-Cartwright 17pts & 10asts, López 13pts, Te Rangi 8pts, Baker 8pts

Tasmania Jack Jumpers 80 – Hamilton 23pts, Marshall 15pts & 10rebs, Magnay 10pts, Campbell 10pts