Milton Keynes Breakers progressed into the Semi-Finals of the NBL 1 Play-Offs with a gritty win over Loughborough Riders at Bletchley Leisure Centre.
The Breakers needed all their heart and determination to see off the stubborn Riders with the game coming down to the final play of the game. Kai Walker and Chris Tawiah both came up with a double-double, with Tawiah netting 17 points and 10 rebounds, with Walker scoring 16 points and grabbing 14 boards.
The two sides exchanged buckets in a frantic start to the game in which Chris Tawiah, Nate Robinson and Jordan Spence all found points early. Spencer and Michael Joiner who both hit three pointers in what was a display of high-level scoring from both the Breakers and the Riders.
The pace soon slowed and both sides found their rhythm with Scarborough and Kai Walker helped the Breakers push out to an eight point lead, one that Romario Spence maintained after Ndoukou pulled back two points. Joiner would continue his impressive start to the game and hit consecutive layups to bring the lead as low as four points, but Walker’s lay up would give the Breakers a bit more of a cushion and force Riders into their first timeout of the game.
Ndoukou went two from two at the line to bring the Riders within four points of the lead as the first quarter drew to a close with the Breakers narrowly leading 19-15.
Chris Tawiah started the scoring in the second as he got the better of Ndoukou to put up two points, before his dunk added two more following Karras’ three pointer. The lead, however, would be dramatically reduced as Gordon and Hedley both saw their layups converted to bring the Riders to within one point of the lead. The Riders left Spencer with too much room on the edge of the arc as he added three points to his tally, but the Riders would score four points in quick succession to draw level.
Parras went to the line and gave the Riders the lead for the first time since the opening minutes as he went one for two before Onyia put the Riders up by three. Adrian Scarborough pulled the Breakers to within one point, but Justin Hedley’s deep three would put the Riders up by four. A determined Kai Walker picked up two offensive rebounds before putting a further two on the board. Nate Robinson would hit a clutch three to bring the Breakers to within one point of the lead following Hedley’s jump shot, but Ndoukou would repeat Robinson’s feat to put the lead back at four.
Romario Spence netted the final points of the half as he pulled the Breakers to within two points of the lead with the Riders narrowly ahead with the scoreboard reading 37-35.
Ndoukou started the scoring in the third quarter as he hit two from the line to open up a four point lead for the visitors. Kai Walker would hit the first points for the Breakers in the third with his three pointer, but Hedley at the other end would put two points back up for his side. The gap would widen further when Hedley converted twice from the line and Joiner pushed the gap to seven with his lay up.
Nate Robinson would reduce the lead as he added two from the line, but Hedley would do the same to maintain the seven point lead. Some poor officiating saw a Chris Tawiah dunk taken off the board before Hedley was sent to the line, he was only able to convert once to put the lead at eight. Chris Tawiah would go one better and pull the Breakers to within six, but Ndoukou hit back with a three point effort to make the difference nine. That gap became 11 after Gordon’s reverse layup, but three points from Scarborough would make it a single digit game.
With three minutes left in the third, Joiner put the gap back at double-digits, but Kai Walker would hit back immediately to keep the Breakers momentum flowing. Jordan Spencer helped cut the lead to five points as he netted twice from the line, Hedley would score the final point of the quarter leaving the Riders with a 56-50 lead with ten minutes left to play.
Romario Spence pulled the Breakers to within four, before the same man made it a one possession game with his efforts from the line. The Breakers momentum continued when Kai Walker’s floater made it a one point game, but the Riders hit back with Ndoukou’s three pointer. Tawiah once again got the better of Ndoukou to bring the Breakers to within two, before Romario Spence put the Breakers ahead with his three point play.
Hedley fouled Tawiah to send him to the line, with Tawiah adding one point to the lead. Spencer would make it a three point game with four-minutes left to play, but Joiner would quickly make that lead one before Tawiah once again got the better of Ndoukou to put the lead back at three. Ndoukou would make it a one point game as he went two for two at the line, but Kai Walker’s huge three pointer made the gap four points. Walker then made a huge steal to regain possession, with Adrian Scarborough finishing the play to put the Breakers up by six.
With just 52-seconds on the clock the Breakers had the lead, but Hedley would bring his side to within four points. Chris Tawiah was sent to the line with 15-seconds on the clock, and after making both efforts the Breakers lead was back at six.
Ndoukou, however, had other ideas as he hit a clutch three pointer to bring the Riders right back into the game. The Breakers, however, stood firm on defence to see out the final seconds and progress into the Semi-Finals of the Play-Offs.
The Breakers will now travel to Hemel Storm, who defeated Bristol Hurricanes 95-78 in their quarter final. Date and tip off TBC on either the 19th or 20th April at Hemel Leisure Centre.
