The Gold Coast Blaze took to nine their unbeaten home run in the Australian National Basketball League when they beat the New Zealand Breakers 90-83 at the Gold Coast Convention Centre last night.
For the home side, Adam Gibson had a strong all-round game with nine points, eight boards and seven assists, and was credited with keeping Kirk Penney tied up throughout much of the match.
Gold Coast made a strong start and it took until the second quarter for the Breakers to gain any momentum after having trailed 19-24.
When Penney finally got free from Gibson he managed to land the Breakers' first three-pointer of the night, and his team rallied to lead 42-41 at the halftime break.
But Gold Coast made a 7-0 charge late in the third term and went into the final quarter five points up.
The Breakers made a late run at the game and closed within a couple of points with three minutes to play, but couldn't keep up the intensity.
Their win-loss record has slipped below 50 percent following the loss, while Gold Coast climb back to the top of the league.
Gold Coast have a week-long break before travelling north for a back-to-back against Townsville and Cairns, while the Breakers' next fixture is against the Hawks in Wollongong on January 6, followed by a match against Perth two days later.
NZPA