LACEY LOWDOWN

The Sky City Breakers Academy team took on the touring Athletes in Action team at Atlas Place on Wednesday night. Young Hawkes Bay NBL player Alonzo Burton made a guest appearance for the team and the 19 year old showed why he is one of the players in contention for a Development Player spot this year by scoring the team’s first 10 points. Derone Raukawa was also in fine shooting form, he knocked down three triples in the opening quarter, AIA ahead 30-25 at the break. The Academy had the better of things in the second quarter, Josh Howe and Denhym Brooke contributed strongly in the paint at both ends of the court as the Breakers tied the scores 48 apiece at half time.
Scores remained close in the third period, neither side able to wrestle the advantage but a long three from Burton with 11 seconds remaining in the period gave the Breakers the narrowest of advantages, 69-68. Young forward Tai Wynyard was having a mighty game for the Academy, his defensive presence evident with a couple of impressive blocks added to multiple rebounds. However, his sterling work could not prevent an 8-0 AIA run early in the final period as the visitors moved to a 76-71 lead. A time out from coach Judd Flavell had the desired affect as Raukawa and Jaylen Gerrand made baskets. Those scores and another from Wynyard was only a temporary respite as the AIA finished the stronger of the two teams to ease to a 14 points victory, a scoreline that perhaps didn’t do justice to the efforts of the young Breakers team.
Final score: Athletes in Action 96, Breakers Academy 82 (Alonzo Burton 22, Derone Raukawa 18, Tai Wynyard 14).
The two teams meet again at Atlas Place, 7pm on Saturday night.