The Gold Coast Blaze gave the New Zealand Breakers a taste of their own medicine with a superb display of outside shooting.
Classy forward Mark Worthington drilled four three-pointers in a haul of 26 points and guard Adam Gibson made five three-pointers to help their side dispatch the Breakers 107-100
in the pre-season Sunshine State Challenge in Brisbane on Saturday night.
Breakers centre Gary Wilkinson was once again in dynamic form for the Auckland-based club with 26 points and nine rebounds, and the newly-signed Daryl Corletto scored 17 points.
The first half was an even contest with the Breakers up 51-50. But the Blaze caught the outside defence napping and seized the moment with two three-pointers from Gibson and some magic from Worthington.
It proved to be the turning point. "The first three minutes after the halftime break cost us," assistant coach Dean Vickerman said.
"I guess what we'll take out of this weekend is just our mental application. We need to lock in and really focus."
Coughing up 107 points was hardly cause for celebration either. "We weren't happy with it. But it wasn't a game we scouted heavily.
Obviously, they are the first team we play in the league and we didn't really want to go ahead and give too much away.
"But we'll go away and come back with some different strategies to defend them.
"You don't want to show all your cards in the pre-season."
The Breakers started well through Wilkinson, who slammed a one-handed dunk and drilled two three-pointers in a hot first quarter which saw the American notch 13 points.
Gibson answered for the Blaze with nine points in the opening period and Worthington hit a long three to cut the gap to three on the buzzer.
Some great passing and terrific finishing added to what was quality first half.
The Breakers' one-goal lead disappeared with two three-pointers from Gibson in the opening moments of the second half.
And a blocking call on Wilkinson, and subsequent dispute with the referee which resulted in a technical foul on the bench, seemed to throw the Breakers off their game.
Gold Coast Blaze 107 (Mark Worthington 26, Adam Gibson 22, Will Hudson 21)
New Zealand Breakers 100 (Gary Wilkinson 26, Daryl Corletto 17, Thomas Abercrombie 13)
Quarter 23-26, halftime 50-51, third quarter 73-67
Basketball: Breakers shot down by Blaze
The Gold Coast Blaze gave the New Zealand Breakers a taste of their own medicine with a superb display of outside shooting.
Classy forward Mark Worthington drilled four three-pointers in a haul of 26 points and guard Adam Gibson made five three-pointers to help their side dispatch the Breakers 107-100
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
