Newcastle Knights 128-123 MK Breakers (2OT) – Live Stats
MK Breakers Men made the long away trip to Newcastle on Saturday, taking on the Knights at Newcastle University in what would prove to be a complete rollercoaster of a game.
The team was boosted by the return of Chris Tawiah this week, and the big man made his presence felt in the early going, getting four of Breakers’ first eight points and pulling down vital rebounds in an evenly matched first quarter.
As the second got underway, Knights would tie the game at 29-29 only to see the visitors suddenly spark into life. Over the remaining eight minutes of the first half, the new-look Breakers would show just what they are capable of as they went on a superb run fuelled by good defence and free-flowing offence.
Dashawn Jackson, Ben Baker and Jonas Dieterich would all hit shots, while Jordan Spencer weighed in with seven points of his own as Breakers stormed into half-time with a 63-41 lead.
They would maintain that advantage throughout the third, but succumb to a flurry of turnovers and missed shots in the fourth that allowed Newcastle to tie up the game and force overtime thanks to a late Sam Trunley three.
The same player would then hit a shot with just two seconds left to take the game to a second extra period. That fired up the Knights and proved too much for Breakers, the home side eventually running out 128-123 winners despite Chase Thompson’s 32-point, 8-rebound performance.
“We threw the game away having played very well throughout the first three quarters,” said Breakers Head Coach Ben Stanley. “Poor offence, lackluster defensive effort and a real lack of togetherness in the 4th let us down.”
The team will look to bounce back in the BCB Trophy semifinal against COB Rockets on Saturday, October 26, with tickets available here.