BNZ Breakers snare win over Taipans

Guided by a balanced team effort, the Breakers out-rebounded the Taipans 43-34, and converted 21 second-chance points to secure a hard-fought victory. 

Matt Mooney earned player of the game, pacing the scoring with 15 points, three assists and three steals.

Co-captain Parker Jackson-Cartwright spread the stat sheet with 11 points, seven rebounds, five assists and a steal while former Taipan Sam Mennenga chipped in with 12 points.

The game was a battle from the outset, with the Rob Edwards lighting up for a game-high 33 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

A decisive 12-0 scoring run midway through the second half gave the Breakers a lead they would not surrender despite a push back from the hosts.

Head coach Petteri Koponen said he was proud of how his side responded after last week’s tough loss to the JackJumpers.

“We wanted to play collectively from the beginning. We had a solid contribution from the bench and it’s been like that all season. These guys have been amazing and play for each other,” he said.

“It wasn’t always pretty but we found a way. It’s never easy to win on the road and this was a good bounce back after last week.

“Now we will head home to rest a little physically and mentally and come back firing.”

The BNZ Breakers (7-3) now head into a break during the FIBA international window before their next match on the road against the Illawarra Hawks on Thursday 28 November at 9.30pm (NZT).