After recording wins over Derby and Bristol, MK Breakers Men knew that Halloween weekend was going to be crucial to their British Championship Basketball season, with back-to-back games against Nottingham Hoods.
That meant former Head Coach Ben Stanley returned to Bletchley Leisure Centre on Saturday evening, bringing his new side into town after recording losses to Worthing and Birmingham.
But they were well-prepared for this meeting with Breakers and the game immediately became a back and forth affair with neither team able to establish control. Only one point separated them at the end of the third quarter, but the home side thought they had sealed a victory when George Pearl and Jordan Spencer made free throws to put them up by three with just two seconds left to play.
However, Camden Polak had different ideas, launching a desperation three-pointer that banked in off the backboard and sent the game to overtime. That understandably gave Hoods all the momentum, and they quickly leapt into a seven-point lead, only for Breakers to display an impressive level of toughness to fight their way back into the game.
Nick Woodard sparked the comeback with a tip-in, before a pair of huge threes from Kalvin Oates ignited the Bletchley crowd. Christian Moore then put Hoods back ahead by three, only for Spencer – who finished with a triple-double of 22 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists – knocked down three clutch free throws to force a second period of Over Time.
That final five minutes saw Breakers show a defensive resilience that eventually sealed a 102-101 triumph that owed much to a huge performance from Darius Duffy. Playing almost the entire game, he weighed in with 16 points and 19 rebounds to earn Player of the Game honours.
Less than 24 hours later, the team was on the road and heading north to face the same team on their home floor. Seeking immediate revenge, they jumped out to a 12-point half time lead behind some impressive shooting, only for Breakers to completely turn things around after the break.
A dominant third quarter saw Hoods left reeling as the visitors poured in 31 points, with Nick Woodard catching fire from behind the arc as he hit four threes in that period alone. However, it was once again the Breakers defence and rebounding that fuelled their comeback, holding the hosts to just 30 points in the entire second half.
Duffy and Sam Grant – who finished the game with 12 points and 10 rebounds – played significant roles, while Spencer, Jonas Dieterich and Mike New Jr. all hit crucial shots along the way to a 91-78 win.
Woodard would be named Player of the Game as he finished with 29 points and nine rebounds, but it was the team spirit and toughness that most impressed Head Coach Nigel Lloyd when the final buzzer sounded.
“We worked hard this weekend,” he said. “Hoods made us earn both wins but my guys showed real grit and determination to get the job done. We knew back-to-back games against the same team was always going to be tough, but today we took care of the ball and dominated on defence the way I know this group can.
“If we can continue to play like we played in the second half today, Breakers’ fans should be excited about what this team can do.”
The team is back in action next Sunday, taking on COB Rockets in Birmingham in a game that tips off at 17:30. Tickets available here.