Basketball: Penney's big guns fall silent as Crocs get Breakers' measure

Kirk Penney of the Breakers looks to get past the Crocodiles defense. Photo / Getty Images

Crocodiles 89
Breakers 80

The final nails are a long way from being tacked down, but the coffin is certainly being measured up for a Breakers side that last night slumped to a third straight home defeat, against Townsville.

The New Zealand side began the season touted as potential ANBL champions, but they could well end it watching an all-Australian playoff series on television.

Given that four of the competition's eight teams make the post-season cut, that would be a particularly galling scenario for a team with title aspirations. It is, however, looking an increasingly likely one.

Last night's defeat dropped the 8-9 Breakers to sixth, two wins out of the playoff picture. With their next four games to be played on the road, catching up won't be easy.

With just Saturday's trip to Melbourne to come, they won't be done by Christmas, but the way they are playing their goose could be well and truly cooked shortly after the festive period.

The last time the Breakers lost three in a row at home was in 2005/06 - a season in which they won just nine of 32 games.

Last night it was a traditional strength, three-point shooting, that hurt them most. They succeeded with just six of 23 attempts from beyond the arc. Heading into the final stages the figure stood at just 3/16.

By the time the ball started to find the net it was far too late.

Centre Rick Rickert was a dominant force in the paint with 21 points and seven rebounds, but with Kirk Penney shut out of the second half - he didn't add to his 17 first-half points until the final minute - the Breakers were bereft of a cutting edge.

With point guard Corey Williams putting on a second-half clinic, the Crocs had more than enough class to take advantage of their hosts' off night.

"They shot 50 per cent from the three-point line, we shot 26 per cent from the three-point line," coach Andrej Lemanis said. "Obviously we need to make some more shots."

The Crocs made a fast start, taking advantage of some lax Breakers defending to race to a 10-2 lead inside the first three minutes.

By halftime the Breakers had edged to a one-point lead, but a third-quarter offensive slump, when they managed just 13 points, ultimately proved their undoing.

The Breakers edged to a four-point lead early in the third quarter of the match before a burst of 10 straight points from Williams turned the tables and a Stephen Hoare three capped a 13-0 run that put the visitors nine points ahead.

Back-to-back CJ Bruton threes saw the Breakers make a run early in the fourth quarter, but as they tired they had no answer to Williams' penetration and the cagey American controlled the game down the stretch to compound what has been a miserable run for the Breakers.

"We consider our home court a pretty tough place to play, but three different teams have come in here and beaten us," forward Dillon Boucher said.

"It is not good."

Townsville Crocs: Corey Williams 19, Peter Crawford 19, Rolan Roberts 16.

New Zealand Breakers: Kirk Penney 24, Rick Rickert 21, CJ Bruton 15.

Halftime: 41-42