Basketball: Abercrombie keen for 200 more

Tom Abercrombie in action for the Breakers. Photo/Getty.

Overshadowed in all the altercations and recriminations after last weekend's loss to Melbourne was the performance of Tom Abercrombie.

Wearing the Breakers singlet for the 200th time, Abercrombie lived up to the tag bestowed on him post-game by teammate Corey Webster - a "young veteran".

There were the leadership qualities a player can only accrue after spending eight years in the Australian NBL, but there were also obvious signs Abercrombie has plenty of spring left in those 28-year-old legs.

And as the Breakers (4-4) contend with yet-more absences ahead of tomorrow night's showdown against old rivals Perth (6-3) at Vector Arena, Abercrombie is ready and willing to continue putting the team on his back.

Skipper Mika Vukona is set to sit out the Perth encounter with a nagging hamstring strain, while Tai Wesley will be another absentee after having his appendix removed, a procedure with a three-week recovery period.

But both men were also missing in Melbourne, when Abercrombie poured in a game-high 24 points to put his side in position to pull of a deserved road win over the undefeated league-leaders. That victory, of course, disappeared in the amount of time it takes a referee to whistle for an unsportsmanlike foul, but Abercrombie's impact must still be recognised.

His haul came on a season-high 18 field goal attempts and, with both player and team benefiting when the aggression is increased, Abercrombie was keen to keep calling his own number at the offensive end.

"I feel like I'm playing pretty well and I'm in really good shape at the moment, so I want to continue being a factor out there," he said. "I guess it's a function of how the game's going but, in some of those games when [Corey Webster and Cedric Jackson] are rolling, I've got to make sure I stay involved. Because I think I've shown that when I'm aggressive and getting involved, good things happen."

Coach Dean Vickerman was in complete agreement on that course of action, emphasising the need for the swingman with the sweet shot to keep gunning for the basket now he's found full health.

"We talked about his shot attempts and pushing that up a little bit," Vickerman said. "He's starting to really find his form again and really find his comfort level. It'll take a couple of games to get the balance between him and Corey but I think we're starting to find that."

That balance, when struck, makes the Breakers a formidable foe, as Perth may find tomorrow night. He's enjoyed some titanic battles with the Wildcats over the last eight years but, for Abercrombie, the excitement of these games never wanes. And, pleasingly for the Breakers, Abercrombie hopes there are plenty more fierce clashes to come.

"I've got a lot of experience playing at this level and have a pretty calm and collected head out there," he said.

"I still remember game one, eight years ago, so it was nice to clock up 200. Hopefully I've got another 200 left in me."

Shoot more, score more
Tom Abercrombie's last six seasons have followed a familiar pattern, which suggests good things for the current campaign.

Year - Field goal attempts - Points per game
2010-11 - 8.5 - 10.5
2011-12 - 11.2 - 15.2
2012-13 - 9.9 - 11.2
2013-14 - 11.0 - 15.5
2014-15 - 8.1 - 11.2
2015-16 - 10.7 - 14.6