Basketball: Last-gasp victory fails to convince

The Breakers' Dillon Boucher (right) misfires during a home game which had the Trusts Stadium crowd groaning as much as cheering. Picture / Fotopress

BREAKERS 110 PERTH 109

With Breakers' coach Frank Arsego's job hanging by a thread the last thing he needed was overtime against the Perth Wildcats yesterday, a one-point win in the last seconds was not good enough to improve his comfort zone.

Again, there was a confusing lack of teamwork at times and the home side could not maintain intensity throughout the game.

They produced another shocking third quarter to let a 14-point lead slip then fired up again to push the Cats at the end, drawing at 103-all after 48 minutes then winning after extra time.

Again, they gave the 2079 at the Trusts Stadium in Henderson as many reasons to groan as they did reasons to cheer.

The win does not lift them off the bottom of the competition table and despite assurances last month that Arsego's job was safe, the management must be revisiting that as they seek better performance from a team that has more talent than its results suggest.

But there was no comment of that sort yesterday.

Arsego's assistant, Wayne Brown, talked to the media after the game, the head coach having lost his voice. Brown conceded they still felt under plenty of pressure - a run of home wins is needed to keep them in playoff contention and a goal had been set to get through the next weeks with three more wins over Cairns, Hunter and Melbourne, confidence taken in that they are all sides they have beaten, Brown said.

Cats coach Scott Fisher said their talk as the Breakers led 63-49 at halftime was that it would not be a comfortable position for them because they were not used to it. They were confident they could pull back.

Kiwi-born Adrian Majstrovich was key to that with 19 points, 10 from 13 field goals in the home stretch. It is unfortunate the Turangi-born forward is not eligible for the Tall Blacks as his game has improved markedly since he turned out for Hawkes Bay in the last domestic league.

Aaron Olson was best for the home side, top-scoring with 23 and providing plenty of spark.

The Wildcats won the tip-off and Braith Cox converted the possession to points but from there the Breakers led all the way to the first stop.

Mike Chappell hit his first field goal attempt for three and followed that with free-throws and more field goals wide and from inside and Olson and Paul Henare also hit three-shots first-up to raise confidence.

The Breakers looked far more enthusiastic than in previous games and secured the boards and loose balls to make second and third-chance shots, something usually missing.

But Perth had closed the gap to 25-26 at the end of the first quarter and were taking some easier points.

The Breakers continued to press hard and stretched the lead to 46-38, forcing the Wildcats to call time-out. It was 59-46 when the visitors stopped the game again but with Pero Cameron and Dillon Boucher taking steals and Chappell and Ben Pepper cleaning up the rebounds, the Breakers pressed on to a 63-49 halftime lead, one they should never have relinquished.

But the next stoppage to play was called by the Breakers at 76-71 as Arsego sought to arrest their now-customary third-quarter malaise. It didn't work and the period finished with their 14-point buffer cut to one. Chappell was sitting on five fouls.

It was the visitors' Ontario Lett who was ejected first, Chappell lasting until the last seconds before collecting his sixth and final.

The Cats' veteran forward, Tony Ronaldson, lost his cool with the referees. When they needed top-notch scoring from the go-to guys at the end, they didn't have it.

As ordinary time closed out, Rowell Ellis missed two free-throws while Perth was enjoying a three-point lead and could have sealed it. Olson secured the tie with a bomb from beyond the arc.

In the extra period the Breakers' defence closed Perth down, running out the shot-clock. Lett fouled out. Pero Cameron dropped two foul shots for another unconvincing win like that against Hunter.

Should they make the playoff eight there is little indication they could go on with it. It remains an ordinary second season and change is a must if they are to progress, be that in player or coaching personnel, because this just ain't working.