Basketball: Big win for Breakers

Cedric Jackson battles BJ Anthony for the ball. Photo / Getty

Breakers 101
36ers 80

The Breakers have done little to dampen expectations in the opening eight days of the new Australian NBL season.

A week after punishing defending champions Perth on their own court, the Breakers dismantled reigning runners-up Adelaide in a dominant display at Vector Arena tonight.

It was another performance out of the Breakers' playbook off old, putting five players into double figures to create an unassailable lead before the fourth quarter. And it was another performance to remind the fans just what they had been missing during the last campaign.

Nights like these were few and far between as the then-defending champs slumped to an 11-18 record. But, with the Breakers tonight turning the tables on a team that swept them in four games last year, that season is feeling but a distant memory.

Just like last week, it was the men not mentally scarred by that second-last finish who were behind much of what the Breakers did well.

Nigerian big Ekene Ibekwe contributed 11 points and 11 boards and, based on what he's shown in the opening two games, the double-double will be the first of many for the club.

The import was not the only new boy to achieve that mini-milestone, with Tai Wesley chipping in 15 points and 10 rebounds while playing maximised minutes due to Mika Vukona's foul trouble.

Cedric Jackson, meanwhile, followed his game-winning turn on Friday night with 15 points, warming up from range to become an unstoppable prospect for the Adelaide defence.

"As soon as you put Ced Jackson in there it's totally a different team," said Adelaide coach Joey Wright. "With Ced out there, alone... they're tough."

But the old guard were also crucial to the victory. Corey Webster equalled his career-high with 23 points to deliver on the promise he showed with the Tall Blacks while away at the World Cup, bouncing back from an injury-hit week one.

Webster's ability to score almost at will was key in establishing the Breakers' big lead and, after an explosive week in practice, coach Dean Vickerman was hardly surprised by the first-year starter's output.

"You could see there was a determination that he was ready to go," Vickerman said. "For him now it's about consistency. Can he keep producing that kind of game every time he plays?

"That'll be his challenge as a starter - to take that next step."

It was no surprise, given the varying contributions, that the Breakers moved to 2-0. But that prospect was never a sure thing when, after retiring CJ Bruton's No 23 jersey, the home side started ice-cold, missing their first seven attempts from the floor.

Compounding their problems was a porous defence in the paint, with the 36ers enjoying much of their early success close to the rim. But the Breakers immediately looked a better side when Tom Abercrombie and Alex Pledger shook off health issues to come into the game, with a pair of triples from Abercrombie helping his side on a 21-5 run to close the second quarter.

The Breakers' nine-point advantage grew slowly in the second as the game was continually disrupted by the referees' whistles, pulling out to an 11-point lead at the major break.

Webster's five quick points to begin the third pushed the Breakers out of sight and, while they would have been disheartened to see Adelaide edge within 10 in the fourth, the Breakers eventually ran away with another encouraging win.

Breakers 101 (Webster 23, Jackson 15, Wesley 15)
36ers (Wilson 15, Creek 13, Montreal 13)