Mennenga, NZ finish pre-season on a high

The New Zealand Breakers will take winning momentum into NBL27 and Sam Mennenga looks set to take over the league after another 26 points in their last pre-season win 90-86 on the road to Melbourne United.

The more and more Mennenga plays the more he looks every bit like he has an NBA future which makes it a significant plus for the Breakers to have secured the big man's services for NBL27 under new coach Gordon Herbert.

It was a last pre-season hit out for both teams ahead of NBL27 beginning next weekend with Melbourne first up against the Adelaide 36ers while the Breakers are first up in action on Sunday at home to the Illawarra Hawks.

Both teams were missing superstar point guards Cole Anthony and Parker Jackson-Cartwright respectively and Melbourne were without their Kiwi big man Sam Waardenburg, but the Breakers had theirs.

And Mennenga showed once again what he is capable of and why the sky remains the limit for where he can take his career. He finished with 26 points with five rebounds and four assists while knocking down 3/4 from the outside and 9/11 at the free-throw line.

By the end of the opening quarter at Melbourne Sport and Aquatic Centre which remains the home of the Melbourne Tigers in the NBL1 South, it was the Breakers holding the narrow 25-24 lead by quarter-time.

Sam Mennenga already had nine points for New Zealand while Malith Machar led the way for United with six after the first 10 minutes.

The Breakers then had 28 points to 22 in the second frame to head into half-time on top 53-46 with Mennenga up to 17 points while as a team they were shooting 58 per cent from the field.

United were going at just 48 per cent despite Chris Goulding landing 4/6 from the outside including one just before the buzzer for 14 points in the opening half.

United came out and scored the first five points of the third quarter and did still end up outscoring the Breakers 24 to 20, but it was New Zealand still clinging to the 73-70 advantage by three quarter-time on the back of another seven points from Mennenga including a triple when Joe Ingles dared him to shoot it.

Melbourne got all the way back within a point with two minutes to play after a pair of Kyle Bowen free throws but Charles Bediako immediately scored up the other end for the Breakers on the next two possessions and that helped secure the eventual four-point victory.

On top of what Mennenga produced for New Zealand, Bediako finished with 14 points, five rebounds and three steals with Reuben Te Rangi contributing 11 points on 4/6 shooting, and Tukaha Cooper nine points with 6/8 foul shooting.

Preston Le Gassick also had six points, five assists and four rebounds, Izayah Le'Afa six points, 10 assists and three steals, and DJ Vasiljevic six points, two rebounds and two steals.

The Melbourne back court was without Cole Anthony and Shea Ili, but Chris Goulding delivered 26 points, four rebounds and four assists with 6/11 three-point shooting.

Fabijan Krslovic added 12 points and five rebounds, Joe Ingles 12 points, four assists and two boards, Malith Machar 11 points, two assists and two blocks, Tom Wilson seven points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists, and Kyle Bowen seven points, four boards and three assists.

MELBOURNE UNITED 86 – NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 90

Melbourne United
Chris Goulding – 26 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
Fabijan Krslovic – 12 points, 5 rebounds
Joe Ingles – 12 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
Malith Machar – 11 points, 2 assists
Tom Wilson – 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals

NZ Breakers
Sam Mennenga – 26 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
Charles Bediako – 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals
Reuben Te Rangi – 11 points, 2 rebounds
Tukaha Cooper – 9 points, 2 rebounds
Izayah Le'Afa – 6 points, 10 assists, 3 steals, 2 rebounds

‍