The Count v Cairns Taipans

The Count is back from the statistician’s holiday and has fresh numbers for his spreadsheets…

 

The BNZ Breakers participated in the second edition of HoopsFest held in Perth which reached record highs with a remarkable 25% increase year-on-year in attendance. And the BNZ Breakers showed up for the party!

 

The numbers produced on court at the RAC Arena were satisfying enough to make the jet lag worthwhile. Paced by four outstanding individual performances, the BNZ Breakers secured an emphatic 104-86 victory against the Cairns Taipans. The snakes were charmed.

 

Perth has been a variable causing error messages in the Count’s data for years - prior to Saturday, we had lost seven of the last eight games at the venue. This win corrects the trend line significantly.

 

The Scoring Column Leading the way was Sam Mennenga, who posted a game-high 28 points, while Izaiah Brockington tallied 24 points. The Count notes that both players were just a single number shy of equalling their season-best scores.

 

The Youth Movement: A New Record with former Tall Black and the Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks watching courtside, Karim López played some of his best basketball of the season. His one-handed dunk and spectacular layup contributed to 13 points and 11 rebounds which is a massive double-double.

 

But the most significant number is 50. By taking the court, Karim became the youngest player ever to make 50 appearances for the club at just 18 years of age.

 

Previous Record: Reuben Te Rangi (debuted in 2012), who played his 50th game at the ripe old age of 20 years and 38 days.

 

PJC: Parker Jackson-Cartwright continues to work the Count’s calculator. He tallied 13 points, 10 assists, and 5 steals. The Count has searched the archives and found a true rarity: PJC is the first player in the NBL since 1993 to record 10 assists and 5 steals with ZERO turnovers in a game. That is an efficiency rating that dreams are made of.

 

Furthermore, those 10 assists moved PJC into the 500 Assist Club. He serves up those assists like Burger King serves Whoppers – hot and fast. The all-time list:

 

Paul Henare: 901

 

Cedric Jackson: 832

 

Mika Vukona: 653

 

Dillon Boucher: 640

 

PJC: 500+

 

Other Entries into the Spreadsheet 

 

Tai Webster played his 100th NBL game. It was a fitting location for the milestone, as Tai previously played 56 of those games in Perth Wildcats colours.

 

Max Darling returned from a 10-game injury layoff and wasted no time, converting his first scoring attempt early in the second quarter.

 

The Ignite Cup Equation

 

Bring your calculators out on Wednesday, because we have a chance to clinch an Ignite Cup Grand Final berth when we take on the South East Melbourne Phoenix. 

 

In the Ignite Cup, every quarter counts. Points are awarded for each individual quarter won, rather than just the final result. This format forces the intensity for all 40 minutes, fighting to climb the ladder.

 

Heading into this fourth and final qualifying game, we sit at the top of the table. With a maximum of 7 points available per game, only five teams remain in the hunt for the top-two spots and a ticket to the Final on February 22 at the Gold Coast.

 

Current Standings:

 

BNZ Breakers: 18 points (3 games)

 

Adelaide 36ers: 15 points (3 games)

 

Perth Wildcats: 13 points (3 games)

 

Brisbane Bullets: 8 points (2 games)

 

SEM Phoenix: 7.5 points (2 games)

 

 

A win on Wednesday solves the equation. 

 

The Count will be watching. You should be too!