Basketball: No fond farewell for Arsego as Perth does the double

SYDNEY- Mike Chappell weighed in with a game high 31-point haul, but the depleted New Zealand Breakers could not bid farewell to head coach Frank Arsego with an Australian National Basketball League (ANBL) victory in Perth last night.

Arsego ended a frustrating tenure with the franchise at Challenge Stadium by watching a side missing veterans Pero Cameron and Marcus Timmons succumb to the play-offs bound Wildcats 108-97.

The former Australian Institute of Sport head coach -- told at the start of the month he would not be required for the 2005-06 season -- was philosophical after ending his reign with a 19 win 37 loss record over his season and a half in charge.

"What can you do? You just thank the boys for their efforts," the amiable Arsego said after the final buzzer.

"I basically summed it up saying: we shouldn't be reflecting on an ending -- as of tomorrow it's a new beginning.

"Guys need to look at things positively whatever the fallout is .... hopefully they'll stay in the sport.

"The reality of it all is we've started from scratch and at the end of the second season we've got a great new venue, training facility, and developed fan base in Auckland," Arsego said.

"The challenges were in front of us and I think we've responded in a pretty good manner.

"People watching the contest wouldn't have thought it was the 11th team against the seventh."

The Breakers' ended their second season with the wooden spoon -- their 11th placing one spot worst than their maiden campaign.

A 9-23 record will be dissected at a management debrief when the squad arrives in Auckland tomorrow, with Arsego reluctant to give his slant on how to improve the team under a new regime.

"I've had an opportunity to put my vision in place. Now the new coach should come in and put his thing in .... (what changes will be made) that will be his prerogative."

Arsego will return to Canberra after the debrief and was unsure where his coaching future lay.

His final game in charge typified Arsego's fortunes.

Captain Cameron was ruled out with an Achilles injury and Timmons hurt a knee during the Wildcat's 129-91 victory on Friday, leaving Arsego with just eight fit players.

"We only had eight guys and they played really well. We were only outscored in the one quarter (34-20 in the second)."

The Wildcats held a decisive 64-51 lead at the main break and despite Chappell's efforts the hosts were never headed.

Chappell connected on 13-of-23 from the field, but the rest of the Breakers were off target for much of the night, only making 40 per cent (34-of-85) of their shots.

Ben Pepper did a power of work on the boards, dragging down 17 rebounds, while Dillon Boucher collected 12, but the entire team's points output was far too low.

Guard Aaron Olson made just 5-of-17 in his 15 points, Ben Thompson 5-of-13 for 13 and Boucher had a poor 18 per cent success rate (2-of-11).

Wildcats 108 (Rosell Ellis 23, Tony Ronaldson, Peter Crawford 19)

Breakers 97 (Mike Chappell 31, Aaron Olson 15, Ben Thompson 13)

Halftime 64-51

- NZPA