12 Jan 2015

Breakers continue charge to minor premiership

7:23 am on 12 January 2015

The Breakers have continued their charge toward the National Basketball League minor premiership with a nail-biting 86-84 win over the cellar dwelling Wollongong Hawks in Australia.

Cedric Jackson

Cedric Jackson Photo: PHOTOSPORT

A clutch final minute performance by guard Cedric Jackson helped the visitors emerge victorious.

With the scores locked, Jackson sliced his way to the hoop for the go-ahead basket with 74 seconds remaining, before Mika Vukona corralled a crucial offensive board from a missed free-throw and secured the result with a pair of free-throws.

New Zealand's trio of Tom Abercrombie, Mika Vukona and Tai Wesley steered the Breakers during fourth quarter, producing 15 of their team's first 18 points, paving the way for Jackson to make his clutch play.

Vukona top scored for the Breakers with 17 points.

The league-leaders arrived at WIN Entertainment Centre minus coach Dean Vickerman, with illness keeping him back at the team's hotel.

But his absence didn't rattle the visitors, who again held off a relentless Hawks side to claim their second successive win over the Wollongong outfit in their final head-to-head clash this season.

The victory followed Thursday's thrilling triumph over the Hawks across the Tasman, where the Breakers were pushed into their first overtime in nearly two years.

They managed to walk away 98-91 winners.

"We knew it wasn't going to be easy because they're really good at home, so we just had to buckle down," the Breakers star import Cedric Jackson said post-match.

"There were times we gave them a lot of easy shots and that's what gets them going."

The Breakers now sit clear on top of the standings with a 16-5 record, while the Hawks remain anchored at the bottom with just three wins from 21 games.