The table-topping New Zealand Breakers were bought crashing back to earth overnight after a 96-79 beating in the National Basketball League by the Townsville Crocodiles, in Townsville.
Townsville led by as many as 29 points midway through the third quarter but some accurate long distance shooting from the breakers in the final stanza reduced the margin to 17 at the finish.
For Townsville Russell Hinder chimed in with 18 points, Brad Williamson, 16, and Michael Cedar, 15, did the damage while Kevin Braswell with 32 led the visitors with Gary Wilkinson, 15, and Kirk Penney, 12, the only others in double-figures.
Also the Cairns Taipans ground out a hard fought 60-48 win against the Sydney Kings at the Cairns Convention Centre last night.
At the Gold Coast Convention Centre, a dominant 63-point first half from the Perth Wildcats proved too much of a mountain for the Gold Coast Blaze to climb despite their best efforts in the second half, with the 'Cats going on to record a 96-93 win on New Year's Eve.
While in Adelaide, the Adelaide 36ers ended an indifferent calendar year in style with a 98-83 hammering of the Wollongong Hawks.
NBL Championship: Round 12 Results.
Perth Wildcats 96 (Weigh 17, Tovey 17, Redhage 15)
Gold Coast Blaze 93 (Worthington 33, Clark 14, Garlepp 14)
Townsville Crocodiles 96 (Hinder 18, Williamson 16, Cedar 15)
New Zealand Breakers 79 (Braswell 32, Wilkinson 15, Penney 12)
Cairns Taipans 60 (Ubaka 16, Loughton 12, Grabau 11)
Sydney Kings 48 (Martin 17, Khazzouh 9, Damien Ryan 6)
Adelaide 36ers 98 (Shannon 23, Ng 16, Ballinger 16)
Wollongong Hawks 83 (Forman 17, Ervin 15, Campbell 13)
