The focus on defence in training over the last week proved to be worthwhile as the Breakers Women held Oaklands Wolves to just 37 points in their dominant away win on Saturday evening.

Oaklands started the game well and it took MK a while to get going, but after Sarah Round netted the first five points for the Breakers, Courtney Gray came off the bench and made an immediate impact. Her performance at both ends of the floor helped MK to a seven point lead at the end of the first quarter (10-17).

At the start of the second period, Sarah Round once again started the scoring hitting the first six points from strong drives. When she was forced to temporarily leave the floor with a minor injury, Jordan Elliott-King, Lauren Milne and Vanessa Obanor highlighted the team’s strength in depth as they all chipping in with points of their own. MK went on an impressive run at the end of the quarter which ended with a well-executed play finished off by Courtney Gray that gave the Breakers a comfortable 15 point lead (19-34).

Going into the second half, MK’s mood was positive but Oaklands attempted to mount a comeback. However, even though Oaklands had their best quarter, good ball and player movement by the Breakers resulted in numerous drives to the basket or passes to the interior. By the end of the period, the Breakers had added three more points to their lead (34-52).

The instruction to the MK players as they came out for the fourth quarter was to maintain the defensive intensity and they didn’t disappoint. Great work as a unit made it difficult for Oaklands to get to the rim and forced some tough shots. This, combined with some intelligent steals held the hosts to just three points in the quarter. Offensively, MK slowed the pace of their offence but still managed to maintain a good scoring rate. Courtney Gray finished off her excellent game with the team’s last six points that took her personal total to 14 points. Sarah Round led the team’s scoring with 17 points and Coach Round was pleased to see so many of the players make significant contributions.

At the end of the game, Coach Round commented, “I like the way Oaklands switched their defence many times but we spotted and responded to the changes quickly.” He added, “The referees were happy for it to be a physical game and we embraced that. We didn’t shy away from the contact and we didn’t let it bother us. We stayed locked it on court and there was tremendous energy from the bench. Overall, it was a great team effort.”

The next game for the women will mean a trip up the M6 to play Trafford Mystics at the Manchester Basketball Centre on Sunday 30th November.

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Having previously played in several of Europe’s top leagues and FIBA Europe Cup, we were delighted when Chris chose to return home and represent home town of Milton Keynes. 

Chris joined the Breakers in the 2023/34 season, a year in which the team dominated NBL Division 2, and made history becoming the first non-Division 1 side in over 50 years to lift the National Cup. Chris was instrumental in helping the Breakers complete the treble, saving one of his best performances of the season for the Playoff Final, scoring 21 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.

Averaging 16.17 points and 8.9 rebounds per game last season in NBL Division 1, Tawiah’s contribution was again crucial to Breakers’ success as we reached the Playoff and Trophy finals in the club’s first ever season at that level.

Speaking on his time with the Breakers, Tawiah stated ““There’s no place like home”. I am lucky and grateful to have been able to start and close my playing career at home where it all started. I leave with many happy memories and want to thank everyone at MK Breakers and the fans for all their support over the last two years.”.

MK Breakers General Manager Josh Merrington added “Everyone at the club would like to thank Chris for his contributions to the club over the past 2 and a bit season’s. We wish him all the best in the future.”

Everyone at the club wishes Chris all the best in his future endeavours.

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This BCB outing got off to a great start as good defence and rebounding saw Breakers jump out to an 8-0 lead. They would continue in that vein for the rest of the opening quarter, not only holding a commanding 21-9 lead, but also outrebounding Rockets 19-9 over the 10-minute period.

But as they so often have under Head Coach Samit Nuruzade, Reading found their way back into the game. A second quarter run saw them pull within four points by half time, and then after the break the lead began to see-saw back and forth between the two teams as neither could fully gain control of the contest.

Jordan Spencer would hit some big shots on his way to a 26-point, 6 assist performance that saw him go 7/14 from the field and 9/10 from the free throw line, alongside solid contributions from Dashawn Jackson (19 points, 7 rebounds) and Xavier Wilson (13 points, 8 rebounds).

Yet it would be Reading who came out on top, delivering down the stretch to secure a 87-94 victory that ultimately left Breakers Head Coach Ben Stanley frustrated after the impressive way his side started the game.

“It’s a tough one to take,” he said shortly after the final buzzer. “We came out super aggressive and executed everything we worked on in practice, but I think we went away from what was working for us.”

“Overall, you can say we didn’t shoot the ball as well as we normally do, but we can absorb that if we’re just more consistent on the defensive end. Reading are very talented and very well-coached, so to have been ahead for most of the game we know that we can compete with the best teams in the league.”

Breakers get the chance to put things right next Saturday, returning to Bletchley Leisure Centre for a home game against Essex Rebels. Tip-off is at 17:00 and tickets are available here.

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A gutsy, hard-fought win in front of an enthusiastic home crowd moved the MK Breakers Women to the top of the league after the Saturday Division 2 – Pool A matches.

Going into the game, both teams were carrying just one loss and the expectation was that it was going to be a close contest. The expectation became reality as, when the final buzzer sounded, only three points separated the two sides.

The Breakers were back to full strength with the return of Sarah Round, who helped MK establish and early lead. However, despite her 13 first quarter points, which included there 3-pointers, the Rockets matched MK’s first quarter total of 24 points as a result of multiple trips to the free throw line.

Birmingham’s zone defence had frustrated MK through the first quarter, but in the second quarter MK started to find the gaps. Some great inside play from Lauren Milne earned her seven points in the period and several intelligent kick-outs from Vanessa Obanor gave Kirsten Moran and Courtney Gray opportunities to knock down some long range shots. At the other end of the floor, the Breakers held Birmingham to just seven points giving them a commanding 46-31 half-time lead. The mood was positive going into the break as the quarter had finished with a very well-executed sideline play that ended with a Courtney Gray score on the buzzer.

The Breakers run at the end of the second period had made it look like they had taken control of the game, but not in the eyes of the Rockets. Nuri Calderon led the charge for the visitors as they mounted an impressive comeback. Her fighting spirit on defence and her do-it-all offence energised her teammates as they shaved nine points off the MK lead to finish the quarter just six points behind (62-56). Arguably, the Breakers got what they deserved in the third quarter as their defence was lack lustre and they lost their way offensively.

Coming out for the fourth quarter, MK needed to dig deep to halt Birmingham’s progress. In what proved to be an exciting and entertaining final period packed with lots of impressive play from both teams, it was impossible to predict which way the game was going to go. A series of 3-pointers from the Rockets gave them the lead and it began to look like they were going to steal the win, but MK maintained their composure and re-took the lead. With 11 seconds left on the clock and the score showing as 77-74 in MK’s favour, Birmingham had one last opportunity to force the game to overtime from a sideline play. Although they managed to find the 3-point shot they needed, it was unsuccessful and when the rebound fell to the Breakers, the celebrations began.

Speaking after the game, Coach Round commented, “Birmingham are a talented, well-coached team. They were determined and aggressive in the right way. Calderon had a great game as did Grace Brownell who shot incredibly well.” He added, “We were fortunate that we managed to hang on for the win, but regardless of the result, I enjoyed being part of what was a great contest.”

Next week, MK Breakers Women make the short journey to St Albans where they play an Oaklands team stacked with WEABL players.

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