Basketball: Pepper leads the way for Breakers upset win

Giant Australian-born centre Ben Pepper led his adopted New Zealand Breakers to their maiden NBL win over the Brisbane Bullets last night - a 94-86 victory at the Brisbane Convention Centre.


The Breakers were last on the NBL ladder heading into the match while the Bullets were coming off a four-game winning streak and the visitors seemed unlikely to register their first away win of the season.


Pepper, in his first season with New Zealand, had other ideas and his 15 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots steered his side home.


Former Wallaby great Tim Horan watched the physical encounter as Brisbane big men Bobby Brannen and Kevin Freeman had a frustrating time against the Breakers' intimidating front court of Pepper, Pero Cameron and the mobile Shawn Redhage.


Freeman finished with 19 points but was dragged by Brisbane coach Joey Wright with two minutes remaining and the game in the balance while Brannen notched 19 points and a massive haul of 18 rebounds.


The Breakers smothered Brisbane playmakers Stephen Black and Derek Rucker throughout the night as solid guards Chris Olsen and Paul Henare turned up the heat.


New Zealand guard Aaron Olsen grabbed 19 points for the visitors while Mike Chappell finished with 16 points and five rebounds.


The home team looked in control early in the match but the Breakers scored nine unanswered points in the second quarter before Rucker shaved the lead to just three points at the major break.


In the third term, three-pointers to Cameron and Henare took the sting out of Brisbane's fightback, setting up a 66-64 three-quartertime lead.


Wright felt his players had expected to beat the Breakers, who went down to Wollongong by 33 points the previous night.


"There are no 'should wins' in this league ... everybody's got to remember that," said Wright, adding that Pepper had made a strong impact on the result.


"(Pepper) changed four or five shots at the bucket that typically we would get a different outcome on.


"He should be in the NBA if he keeps blocking dunks like that."


- AAP