Men's First Team Archives - MK Breakers Basketball Club https://mkbasketball.club/tag/mens-first-team/ MKBC remain a Community Basketball Club committed to developing basketball right here in Milton Keynes Mon, 21 Oct 2024 12:23:31 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://mkbasketball.club/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/cropped-MK-Breakers-Logo-–-RGB-32x32.png Men's First Team Archives - MK Breakers Basketball Club https://mkbasketball.club/tag/mens-first-team/ 32 32 Zoho invests in Milton Keynes Breakers to Support Local Community Initiatives https://mkbasketball.club/2024/10/21/zoho-invests-in-milton-keynes-breakers/ Mon, 21 Oct 2024 12:11:47 +0000 https://mkbasketball.club/?p=5651 The sponsorship deal will provide new kits to all Junior National League teams and support off-court activities within the local community.

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The sponsorship deal will provide new kits to all Junior National League teams and support off-court activities within the local community.

Zoho Corporation, a global technology company, today announced it has invested in the Milton Keynes Breakers basketball team as part of a three-year sponsorship deal.

The sponsorship will provide new home and away kits for all of the Junior National League teams, as well as support off-court initiatives aimed at helping the local community develop key employability, life and digital skills.

MK Breakers is a community-driven basketball club based in Milton Keynes, offering opportunities for players of all ages and skill levels. Its mission is to empower young athletes through sport, helping them reach their full potential both on and off the court.

Phil Hannah, Director of Partnerships for the MK Breakers, commented: “MK Breakers is more than a basketball team, helping young people across Milton Keynes through education and community. We are so grateful to Zoho for their support, allowing us to expand our community initiatives to reach more people and give back to the local area.“

The sponsorship was unveiled against Team Newcastle University on Saturday, October 19, at Bletchley Leisure Centre.

Sachin Agrawal, Managing Director, Zoho UK, commented: “We are thrilled to support the MK Breakers and their incredible work providing development opportunities on and off the court. The team has a deep-rooted connection with the community from junior to senior team levels, going beyond basketball to inspire the next generation.

“Supporting development initiatives to equip people with life and digital skills is at the heart of Zoho, especially in the areas where we locate our offices. This activity with MK Breakers helps us to support in the Milton Keynes area, where we are continuing to grow our UK team.”

Zoho is committed to helping to close the digital skills gap, including that often seen between education and industry.

It offers its own initiatives, such as Zoho Schools, a meaningful alternative to conventional college education. Zoho also works with education establishments around the world to help students understand and experience real-world business application of their learning.

Such initiatives in Europe include:

● The Young Creator Programme which helps students learn how to code through low-code platform, Zoho Creator, and which recently completed a course with Nottingham Business School students at Nottingham University.

● Joining forces with Fontys School of Business and Communication in The Netherlands to run a course centred around Zoho CRM Plus, Zoho’s customer experience platform.

● Sponsorship of Teddington Hockey Club, incorporating provision of kit and support for educational guidance to teams around digital skills in future.

About Zoho

With 55+ apps in nearly every major business category, including sales, marketing, customer support, accounting and back office operations, and an array of productivity and collaboration tools, Zoho Corporation is one of the world’s most prolific technology companies.

Zoho is privately held and profitable with more than 15,000 employees. Zoho is headquartered in Chennai, India with European offices in The Netherlands, UK, Germany, France and Spain. Others include the United States, India, Japan, China, Singapore, Mexico, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Zoho respects user privacy and does not have an ad-revenue model in any part of its business, including its free products. Read more about Zoho’s privacy commitment here: https://www.zoho.com/privacy.html. Zoho operates its own datacenters across the world, including two in Europe.

Zoho UK recently achieved Cyber Essentials Plus certification, a UK Government backed scheme that will help protect the company against a whole range of the most common cyber attacks.

More than 100 million users around the world, across hundreds of thousands of companies, rely on Zoho everyday to run their businesses, including Zoho itself. For more information, please visit www.zoho.com.

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Nate Robinson Returns to MK Breakers https://mkbasketball.club/2024/07/29/nate-robinson-returns-to-mk-breakers/ Mon, 29 Jul 2024 16:55:08 +0000 https://mkbasketball.club/?p=4645 The MK Breakers are thrilled to announce the re-signing of Nate Robinson for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

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The MK Breakers are thrilled to announce the re-signing of Nate Robinson for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

Robinson, who made a significant impact in his debut season, is set to bring his exceptional skills and leadership back to the team.

Robinson, who averaged 18.1 Points per Game, shooting 45% from 3 point range last season, began his professional career with the Manchester Giants in the British Basketball League, following in the footsteps of his father, Mark, who played for the team in the 1990s.

Nate Robinson has also been a standout on the international stage, representing Great Britain at the U18 and U20 levels. He played a pivotal role in achieving 7th and 8th place finishes at the European Championships, marking the highest-ever placements for Great Britain teams in those age groups.

Last season, Robinson was instrumental in helping the MK Breakers secure three trophies, including the National Cup and the NBL Division 2 Title. His return to the team is highly anticipated, as he aims to build on the success of the previous season.

Robinson expressed his excitement about re-signing with the Breakers, stating, “I’m very pleased to be signing back with MK. I’m grateful to be able to return and play for MK another year. I enjoyed the season last year a lot. Even though I was brought in halfway through the year, I enjoyed every bit of it

“Division 1 has a lot of talent this year and we need to be locked in every game. I believe we can continue to build off of our success from last year and have another great 2024-25 season.

“I can’t wait to get on the court and put on another great season for the community of MK! They have shown me nothing but love since day one!”

Head Coach Billy Beddow also shared his enthusiasm for Robinson’s return: “It’s great to have Nate back for a second season with the club.

“He had an instant impact when he joined us in December and he was a huge part of the team’s success last season. Nate is the ultimate professional.

“He showed his efficiency on the offensive end last season and proved to be an excellent defender, usually taking the responsibility to guard the opposition’s best perimeter player.”

The MK Breakers are looking forward to another promising season with Robinson’s leadership and talent on the court, as they strive for continued success in Division 1.

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Breakers to host Westminster Warriors https://mkbasketball.club/2024/02/09/breakers-to-host-westminster-warriors/ Fri, 09 Feb 2024 20:27:29 +0000 https://mkbasketball.club/?p=4011 MK Breakers return to Bletchley Leisure Centre this Saturday as they play hosts to Westminster Warriors in their latest NBL Division 2 outing.

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MK Breakers return to Bletchley Leisure Centre this Saturday as they play hosts to Westminster Warriors in their latest NBL Division 2 outing.

The Breakers enter the clash after an impressive showing in London last time out – as they convincingly overcame London Stars 123-58 – with 11 players making the scoresheet and all players gaining valuable court time.

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE.

Jordan Spencer led the Breakers in scoring with 24 points, well supported by Dante Langley (22), Blayne Freckleton (20), Nate Robinson (17) and William Issekya (11) who all hit double figures in a balanced scoring effort.

The Breakers are in impressive form having scored over 100 points in each of their last three NBL Division 2 outings – with a win streak in the league that dates back to October 2023.

The Breakers currently sit second in the table – four points behind Team Solent Kestrels. Saturday’s opposition, meanwhile, occupy eighth in the table having won five and lost nine of their 14 outings so far this campaign.

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE.

The Breakers home season is heading into the final stages with just four regular season games left to play at Bletchley Leisure Centre. We’ve loved playing in front of the Breakers faithful all season and can’t wait to see you again this weekend.

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Breakers return to league action with a win https://mkbasketball.club/2024/01/28/breakers-return-to-league-action-with-a-win/ Sun, 28 Jan 2024 14:26:28 +0000 https://mkbasketball.club/?p=3935 Milton Keynes Breakers returned to NBL Division 2 action with a win as they overcame Oaklands Wolves 112-84 at Bletchley Leisure Centre.

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Box Score

Milton Keynes Breakers 112 (24, 25, 30, 33)
Oaklands Wolves 74 (10, 25, 19, 20)

Milton Keynes Breakers returned to NBL Division 2 action with a win as they overcame Oaklands Wolves 112-74 at Bletchley Leisure Centre.

It was a hotly contested opening few minutes with the Breakers forced to come from behind from the off as Oaklands Wolves took an early lead. Rudzinski and Pratt’s points gave the visitors a 4-0 lead, but Chris Tawiah and Buai Luak ensured that lead didn’t last as they levelled the scoring before Blayne Freckleton put the Breakers ahead for the first time.

Dante Langley converted his first three points of the encounter before Nate Robinson marked his home debut with two successful free throws. Langley then added a further four points in a matter of seconds to put the Breakers up by nine. Luke Gregory netted two successful lay ups to start his tally for the evening before Will Issekya saw his three point effort add to the scoring. The final points of the opening quarter came via Leon Henry, who converted his free throws to give the Breakers a 24-10 lead.

The break in play arguably halted the momentum of the game with both sides missing early baskets. The first points fell the way of Oaklands Wolves as Laquarne added three points to the scoring, the Breakers soon found their groove again as Robinson’s three point jump shot followed Chris Tawiah’s hookshot. The Wolves slowly reduced the Breakers lead cutting the advantage to nine points, but lay ups from both Freckleton and Gregory ensured they stayed out of reach. 

Oaklands once again kept themselves within touching distance of the Breakers, but Spencer and Langley made sure the visitors couldn’t gain enough momentum as the Breakers duo put the Breakers up by 10 points. The young Oaklands Wolves, however, continued to fight and were within six points of the Breakers after Downing netted four points without return for this side.

Freckleton’s effortless three point effort restored the lead to nine points – with Jordan Spencer’s layup giving the Breakers a double digit lead once again. Freckleton then saw another three point effort converted following Tawiah’s lay up seconds earlier. Langley then closed out the half with his lay up seconds before the buzzer to give the Breakers a 49-35 lead at the break.

The Breakers came out firing after the interval with Chris Tawiah scoring four points within a minute of the restart. Buai Luak followed shortly after with two points of his own, before Tawiah’s dunk lifted those in Bletchley Leisure Centre to their feet. Spencer and Robinson and Gregory added the scoring to put the Breakers up by 24 points.

It was a more than impressive start to the third quarter from Billy Beddow’s side as they scored 19 points in just under four-minutes of action. The scoring continued with both Freckleton and Spencer adding to the tally to push the Breakers lead to 23 points, with Jordan Spencer converting from beyond the arc to take his tally to the evening to 14 points and putting the Breakers up 79-54 heading into the final quarter.

The Breakers maintained their high-level scoring in the early stages of the fourth with Buai Luak scoring two lay ups within a matter of seconds. Dante Langley followed shortly after with two points of his own before Robinson’s layup and hookshot pushed the Breakers lead to 34 points. 

Buai Luak added four points following his lay ups, before Robinson’s three point effort took the Breakers to within three points of the 100-point mark. Leon Henry’s driving layup added another two to the scoreboard before Bradley Day ensured the Breakers would reach triple figures with his driving layup.

Henry added a further two points before Luak’s ‘and one’ play put the Breakers up by 38-points. Henry continued his fourth quarter scoring run adding another three points to his tally before Bradley Day closed out the evening with his three point jump shot securing a 112-74 victory for the Breakers.

Next up for the Breakers is a trip to the capital next weekend to take on a new and improved London Stars, who have recently added former-GB international Ryan Martin. The game will tip off at 2pm next Saturday, there are a few seats for fans available on the team bus that can be booked here.

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Breakers make history as they lift National Cup https://mkbasketball.club/2024/01/22/breakers-make-history-as-they-lift-national-cup/ Mon, 22 Jan 2024 08:08:59 +0000 https://mkbasketball.club/?p=3878 Milton Keynes Breakers made history on Sunday evening as they lifted the National Cup overcoming Reading Rockets 95-85 in a monumental day in the short history of the Breakers.

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Box Score

Milton Keynes Breakers 95 (19, 42, 65)
Reading Rockets 85 (24, 35, 49)

Milton Keynes Breakers made history on Sunday evening as they lifted the National Cup overcoming Reading Rockets 95-85 in a monumental day in the short history of the Breakers.

The Breakers had to overcome three NBL Division 1 sides to reach the final recording victories over Loughborough, Worthing and Derby to reach the showpiece event in Manchester.Billy Beddow’s side, however, continued their impressive National Cup run to secure a 10-point victory over Reading Rockets..

The Breakers strength in depth was on full display as four different players reached double points in the cup finale, but it was Jordan Spencer who claimed MVP Honours after his 34 point performance was accompanied by eight rebounds and 11 assists.

It was an energetic start from both sides as both Reading and Milton Keynes looked to prove they were ready from the off. Christian Alexander opened the scoring in the National Cup Final – but Blayne Freckleton’s back-to-back free throws ensured the Breakers drew level within seconds.

Reading then retook the lead thanks to Pinnock and Jenkins as the NBL Division 1 side established a four point lead. Jordan Spencer, however, showcased his leadership qualities as he converted his first three points of the clash. Buai Luak then added four points in quick succession to give the Breakers a three point lead.

The Rockets converted a three point attempt of their own to bring themselves level, but Jordan Spencer would back immediately with another three point conversion. The game continued with its ebb and flow nature as the Rockets Lewis Champion levelled the scoring with his three point attempt. 

Blayne Freckleton restored the advantage for the side from Milton Keynes with Dante Langley extending the lead to four points with his three point jump shot. The Rockets’ Powell and Maynard then combined for five points to swing the lead back in favour of Reading.

It was Porter of the Rockets who would add to their lead as his two layups extended Reading’s lead to five points with two-minutes left in the first quarter. Powell pushed that lead up to seven points, but two successful free throws from Blayne Freckleton ensured the Breakers reduced that lead to five points at the end of the first as they trailed 19-24.

The break in play allowed a break in momentum with the first points in the second coming after a minute of action. They fell the way of Reading as Alexander restored their seven point advantage. Nate Robinson converted his two free throws to keep the Breakers within five points, before Blayne Freckleton reduced that lead to three points with his jump shot. The Rockets hit back with a successful three point attempt to lead by six, but Freckleton saw his own effort from behind the arc sink following some impressive defence by Chris Tawiah. It was Freckleton who converted two free throws to bring the side from Milton Keynes to within one point of Reading, but they would restore their lead to three points through Pinnock’s free throws.

Spencer took to the line after he was fouled and converted his two free throws to bring the game back to a one point contest. The Breakers’ captain was then handed the chance to put the Breakers ahead as he was once again fouled, he drew the two sides level with his first attempt before putting the Breakers ahead with his second. Alexander struck yet again for the Rockets with seconds left on the shot-clock, before Robinson’s ‘and one’ play gave the Breakers a two point lead. Zach Powell drew the two sides level as he converted back-to-back free throws with three minutes left in the first half.

It took 70-seconds for the next points to fall as both sides displayed impressive defensive Basketball, Jordan Spencer converting two free throws before Chris Tawiah pushed the Breakers lead to four points with his lay up. Spencer was then fouled for the fifth time in the opening half and would continue his impressive start to the game converting both free throw attempts to help the Breakers take their lead to six points. With the second quarter drawing to a close, Tawiah converted one of his two free throws to push the Breakers’ lead to seven and with seconds remaining in the half the Breakers stood firm to take a seven point lead into the break with the scoring 42-35 in favour of Breakers.

The first points of the second half fell the way of Reading with Alexander converting his lay up, Maynard then struck from three for Reading to cut the lead to just two points in favour of the Breakers. Langley, however, hit back with three points of his own before Blayne Freckleton layup restored the seven point lead that the Breaker started the third quarter with.

Langley was the next Breakers player to take to the line after being fouled, he converted one of his attempts to give the Breakers an eight point lead. The Breakers extended that advantage to 10-points as Langley converted his sixth points of the third, that lead wouldn’t stand for long as Reading’s Powell converted twice from the free throw line to bring his side to within eight points. It was Mitch Clarke who would bring the Rockets to within five as his three point effort was converted.

Freckleton’s layup pushed the Breakers lead to seven points, but Clarke’s two successful free throw attempts pulled the Rockets to within five points. Jordan Spencer took his tally for the evening to 16 points with an impressive driving layup, before Robinson extended the lead to eight points following an unsportsmanlike conduct foul on Spencer. Spencer then turned provider as he assisted Buai Luak’s layup. The Rockets were determined not to let the Breakers out of their sights as they pulled the gap back to eight points, with Robibnson’s free throw pushing the lead back to nine in favour of the side from Milton Keynes.

Despite his young age, Luak was dominating inside the paint and would bring the travelling MK Breakers fans to their feet with his powerful dunk. Spencer would then convert his third three point attempt of the afternoon to extend the Breakers lead to 14 points. It was Spencer who made it 16 points as he converted back-to-back free throws after he was fouled for the seventh time. Spencer’s dominant run towards the end of the third meant the Breakers closed out the third with a 65-49 lead.

The Rockets knew they had work to do in the final quarter and started the brighter of the two sides, they reduced the lead to 14-points in the opening seconds of the fourth. Spencer, however, took his tally to 23 points for the evening with his layup. Luke Gregory then gave Spencer his eighth assist of the evening the Breakers’ Centre converted from inside the paint.

Mitch Clarke reduced the lead to 13-points with his jump shot before his lay up reduced the Breakers lead to 11. The Rockets continued to cut into the lead and pulled to within seven points after Clarke’s back-to-back layups – that lead soon became five after Alexander’s jump shot. Freckleton took the line after he was fouled and converted his two free throws to give the Breakers some breathing space with a seven point advantage.

Clarke provided a pivotal moment in the game as he saw his three point effort from deep converted to pull his side to within four points of the lead. Jordan Spencer, however, then saw a three point effort of his own added to the scoring. Clarke struck seconds later with yet another three point effort ensuring the Breakers lead was just four points. The incredible run of three points continued as Spencer hit back with his own effort.

Alexander then added two points with an impressive layup, but Langley added another three points to the scoring to put the Breakers eight points ahead. Champion then took to the line after being fouled and ensured the Rockets trailed by six heading into the final four minutes of action. Robinson converted a lay up to ensure the lead was restored to eight points, before Robinson then converted a huge three point effort to put the Breakers 11-points ahead with just over two-minutes left to play.

Powelll then had the chance to convert a five-point play, he saw his three point effort converted – before Clarke converted one free throw to make it a seven point game. Powell then reduced the lead to five points following his dunk. Langley was fouled shooting from three and took to the line for three efforts. He saw his first converted, the second followed, with the third also adding to the scoreboard. 

The lead stood at eight with just 90-seconds left to play, but Champion pulled the gap back to seven points after converting his free throw. Robinson saw his two free throws add to the scoring to bring the advantage to nine points with just 66-seconds left on the clock. Powell’s three point effort reduced that lead to six points before Spencer made the difference eight points following his two free throws.

What could’ve been a nerve racking ending was the complete opposite as the Breakers saw the clash out in style as Jordan Spencer capped off his MVP performance with five successful free throws in the closing stages to secure a 95-85 victory.

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Breakers ready for National Cup Final https://mkbasketball.club/2024/01/20/breakers-ready-for-national-cup-final/ Sat, 20 Jan 2024 10:44:04 +0000 https://mkbasketball.club/?p=3866 Milton Keynes Breakers face the biggest game in their history this Sunday as they look to become the first non NBL Division 1 side in over 50 years to win the oldest competition in British Basketball.

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Milton Keynes Breakers face the biggest game in their history this Sunday as they look to become the first non NBL Division 1 side in over 50 years to win the oldest competition in British Basketball.
 
The Breakers have already gone one step further than they managed in the 2022/23 season and have been up against the odds in their run to the Final in Manchester. The Breakers have overcome NBL Division 1 side Loughborough, Worthing and Derby to reach the National Cup Final.
 
Their opposition, Reading Rockets, are enjoying a successful season of their own. The Rockets currently sit fourth in NBL Division 1 and are just two points off top of the table having played two games fewer.
 
Reading Rockets have won the National Cup three times – having most recently made the final back in the 2019/20 season. The Rockets will be looking to become the competition’s fourth most successful team as they aim for their fourth National Cup victory. 
 
The Rockets have also endured a tough run to the showpiece event in Manchester, with three of their four wins coming against fellow NBL Division 1 sides – including a semi-final win over Essex Rebels – who currently top the division.
 
Nathan Robinson has settled in effortlessly with the Breakers and enjoyed a successful Semi-Final outing against Derby Trailblazers – Robinson scored 18 points in the win.
 
A man familiar to the big stage is Blayne Freckleton who showed his talents in last season’s NBL Division 3 Play-Off Final scoring 39 points – ten of which came from three-pointers.
 
Elsewhere the likes of Dante Langley and Jordan Spencer have showcased their talents for the Breakers faithful all season with Chris Tawiah, Luke Gregory and Buai Luak proving a danger at both ends of the court.
 
Billy Beddow spoke on his feelings ahead of a monumental day for the Breakers, “I’m really excited and honoured ahead of Sunday’s Final. I’m exhausted and nervous – all the feelings are merging into one – but I’m really excited.
 
“The week has been really good, being in a Cup Final always gives players a bit of a boost. We know Reading are a really good side and are very well coached – so we need to focus that little bit more.
 
“It’s a whole Club effort and every player has a part to play in the build up to the game. It’s about the team coming together to listen and learn, but it’s also the fans who are going to come along and make a lot of noise for us – it’s everyone coming together to give us the best chance to win.”

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MK Breakers face Cobham clash https://mkbasketball.club/2024/01/11/mk-breakers-face-cobham-clash/ Thu, 11 Jan 2024 21:54:15 +0000 https://mkbasketball.club/?p=3816 Milton Keynes Breakers return to NBL Division 2 action this weekend as they face Cobham Cobras on Sunday 14 January 2024.

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Milton Keynes Breakers return to NBL Division 2 action this weekend as they face Cobham Cobras on Sunday 14 January 2024.

The Breakers will need to refocus after their National Cup success last weekend and attack their first league game of 2024 with a fresh mindset. The Breakers became the first NBL Division 2 side to make the National Cup Final as they overcame Derby Trailblazers 83-80 on Sunday, setting up a Final against Reading Rockets at the National Basketball Centre in Manchester on January 21.

Billy Beddow will be eager to ensure his team’s attention though is firmly rooted to Sunday’s game in the Capital. The Breakers are in good form heading into the encounter having won each game they’ve played since their last defeat against Team Solent Kestrels back in October.

That impressive run of form has put the Breakers into second place in the NBL 2 South table, just two points behind league leaders Team Solent Kestrels.

Cobham, meanwhile, occupy fifth place in the division having won seven of their opening 10 fixtures. The Surrey-based outfit will be looking to stop the Breakers doing the double over them after the side from Milton Keynes won the return leg 94-73 early on in the season.

MK Breakers are running a fan coach to Surrey for the fixture – all details can be found HERE.

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Breakers face Derby Trailblazers in National Cup Semi-Final https://mkbasketball.club/2024/01/05/breakers-face-derby-trailblazers-in-national-cup-semi-final/ Fri, 05 Jan 2024 20:31:55 +0000 https://mkbasketball.club/?p=3771 MK Breakers face the biggest game of their season this weekend as they travel to Derby Trailblazers in the Semi-Final of the National Cup - The game will tip off at 5:30pm at the Clarence Wiggins Sports Centre.

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MK Breakers face the biggest game of their season this weekend as they travel to Derby Trailblazers in the Semi-Final of the National Cup – The game will tip off at 5:30pm at the Clarence Wiggins Sports Centre.  

The Breakers and Trailblazers have now both reached the Final Four of the competition in successive years – and are the only teams to achieve the feat.  

Both sides are enjoying a successful season and currently both sit in second in their respective divisions. MK Breakers sit just two points being top of the table Team Solent Kestrels – who are the only team Billy Beddow’s side have been defeated by in their NBL Division 2 Campaign. Derby, meanwhile, sit two points behind Essex Rebels having picked up 16 points from their 10 games.  

A win for the Breakers would see them set up a clash against either Reading Rockets or Essex Rebels at the National Basketball Performance Centre at the end of January. Should the Breakers make the Final, it would make two teams in action that weekend as the U16 Girls take on Richmond Knights in their National Cup Final.  

The Breakers are in good form heading into the encounter with their last defeat coming against Team Solent Kestrels back in October. Since then, the Breakers have won each game they’ve played in and scored over 100 points in eight of their 12 games played.  

There are just 10 tickets remaining MK Breakers fans. We have been allocated 100 tickets for the game and only 10 remain, they can be purchased directly from the club using this link.  

Derby do not sell tickets online, and the game will sell out, so trying to buy on the day will be a risk as the game will likely sell out. Fans can also travel on the team bus. This can be booked using the same link as the tickets. 

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Breakers reach National Cup Semi-Final https://mkbasketball.club/2023/12/19/breakers-reach-national-cup-semi-final/ Tue, 19 Dec 2023 21:26:50 +0000 https://mkbasketball.club/?p=3734 MK Breakers closed out their 2023 in impressive fashion as they overcame Richmond Knights 87-78 on Saturday afternoon before reaching the Semi-Final of the National Cup the next evening with a 94-89 victory over Worthing Thunder.

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MK Breakers closed out their 2023 in impressive fashion as they overcame Richmond Knights 87-78 on Saturday afternoon before reaching the Semi-Final of the National Cup the next evening with a 94-89 victory over Worthing Thunder. 

The Breakers have now reached the Final Four of the National Cup in successive years and alongside Derby Trailblazers are the only team to reach the stage in back-to-back years.

The Breakers weekend started with a trip to Richmond Knights, in which they had to show a different side to their game. After a 12-2 start the Breakers were guilty of taking their foot off the gas and allowing Richmond back into the game. Billy Beddow’s side were forced to grind out the win in a physical encounter. 

The Breakers ran out 87-78 winners over Richmond Knights with Jordan Spencer (20), Blayne Freckleton (19) and Chris Tawiah (12) topping the scoring charts for the Breakers. New signing Nate Robinson added 10 points on his debut.

Attention then turned to Sunday’s huge National Cup clash with Worthing Thunder who play their Basketball in NBL Division 1. The two sides traded blows in the opening stages of the game, but importantly for the Breakers the likes of Mike New Jr, Dane Langley, Jordan Spencer and Chris Tawiah all found their scoring groove early on. Those in attendance were treated to some high level basketball with both sides scoring freely and little separating the teams in the opening stages. It would be the hosts who won the first battle as they closed out the first quarter with a 23-22 lead.

The Breakers, however, were determined to not let their opposition creep out of range as Tawiah, Mike New Jr and Jordan Spencer scored points at crucial moments to keep Worthing within their reach. Thunder did extend their lead to five points, but an impressive three point effort from Dante Langley and a Chris Tawiah lay up pulled the Breakers back level.

Nate Robinson, Luke Gregory and Buai Luak ensured the Breakers showcased their strength in depth as the trio all added to the scoreline in the closing stages of the second quarter. As the half-time break drew closer the Breakers took the lead with just seconds remaining – Thunder, however, drew level to take a 51-50 lead into the break.

The Breakers seemed to have started the third quarter strongest as Dante Langley and Chris Tawiah helped the Breakers lead by three points. Worthing, however, drew back level and then took the lead to continue the constant changing of the lead. As was the story of the cup tie, it was the Breakers turn to lead – this time the combination of Gregory and Spencer helping Beddow’s side regain the advantage.

Thunder hit right back and swung the momentum back into their favour and with 50 seconds left on the clock they led by nine points – the biggest lead of the encounter so far. Dante Langley’s ‘and one’ in the final moments ensured the Thunder led by just six heading into the final quarter with the scoreboard reading 76-70 in favour of Worthing.

The Breakers knew what they had to do and if they wanted to advance into the Semi-Finals of the National Cup they would need to overcome a 6 point deficit. Langley wasted no time in ensuring the Breakers started strong as his four points in quick succession gave the Breakers a real chance of doing so. 

The hosts, however, hit from the three point range to give themselves breathing room and a five point advantage. Nate Robinson’s two successful free throws, shortly followed by Dante Langley’s three pointer drew the Breakers back level, but the Thunder struck back with a successful three pointer of their own seconds later.

Tawiah made a jump-hook to trim the lead to 1 point at 82-81, before Freckleton drew a foul on the following possession, converting both free throws to put the visitors in front. Following another stop it would be Freckelton again who stepped up, hitting a deep 3-pointer and drawing a foul in the process. Freckelton would convert the 4-point play to give the Breakers a 5 point lead at 82-87 with 3:49 left in the game.

A Daniel Johnson-Thompson lay up with 59 seconds to play brought the hosts to within one score at 89-91. The Breakers came up empty on the following possession, but captain Jordan Spencer stepped up on the defensive end, stealing the ball from Zaire Taylor with 18 seconds to go, forcing Thunder to foul to stop the clock. Spencer would make 1 from 2 at the line to put the Breakers up 89-92. 

A strong defensive stand from the Breakers forced a heavily contested 3-point shot from Zaire Taylor which came up short. Luke Gregory would haul in the rebound and find new signing Nate Robinson who would draw the foul and calmly sink two free throws to seal the game and ensure the Breakers ran out 94-89 winners.

Dante Langley led the scoring for the Breakers with 23 points and 8 rebounds on 10/15 shooting. Jordan Spencer would contribute 17 points and 15 assists with Chris Tawiah adding 16 points on 8/9 shooting.

The win sets up an away Semi-Final tie with NBL Division 1 outfit Derby Trailblazers who currently sit second in the table and are tipped to win the league this season. The game will take place on Sunday 7th January at 5:30pm in Derby. Tickets and travel can be booked here.

*We have been allocated 50 tickets for the game. The game will sell out and Derby do not sell tickets online, so book now to avoid disappointment.

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Nathan Robinson signs for the MK Breakers https://mkbasketball.club/2023/12/15/nathan-robinson-signs-for-the-mk-breakers/ Fri, 15 Dec 2023 09:00:00 +0000 https://mkbasketball.club/?p=3698 The MK Breakers are delighted to announce the signing of 6’4” British-American Guard Nathan “Nate” Robinson for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

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The MK Breakers are delighted to announce the signing of 6’4” British-American Guard Nathan “Nate” Robinson for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

Manchester-born Robinson moved to California at a young age where he came up through the US high school and college ranks, graduating from NCAA Division 1 Seattle University in 2022 where he averaged 6.9 points per game across 2 seasons.

Nate began his professional career last season with the Manchester Giants in the British Basketball League, the same team his father Mark played for in the 1990’s.

Nate was also a standout performer for Great Britain U18 & U20 as a junior, helping those teams to 7th and 8th placed finishes respectively at the European Championships, the highest ever finish at both age groups for GB teams.

23-year-old Robinson is keen to hit the ground running with the Breakers, “I’m really excited to be playing for the MK Breakers and the amazing fan base! I’m looking forward to getting on the court with the guys and getting more wins!”

Breakers Head Coach Billy Beddow-Patel is thrilled with the addition of Robinson “We are really pleased to have Nate join us at this point in the season. His BBL and GB experience will help him to fit into the squad and no doubt have a positive impact on the team. He’s a great shooter and promising defender and will strengthen our back court after losing Andre to injury.”

Nate will make his debut this weekend with the away games against Richmond Knights and Worthing Thunder. There are a limited number of the seats available on the team bus for this weekend’s games. To book your seat email pete@mkbasketball.club.

Breakers fans will have to wait until the 27th of January to see Nate in action at home when we welcome Oaklands Wolves for our first home game of 2024. Tickets available here.

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