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The New Zealand Breakers have scored a dramatic 98-92 overtime victory over Melbourne United.Tied at 83 after four quarters on Friday night, United went ahead by four in overtime before back-to-back three-pointers from Breakers big man Robert Loe put the visitors in front 94-92 with less than one minute on the clock.Tom Abercrombie sealed the win with a breakaway dunk, finishing with 17 points that included 5-of-6 from long range at Hisense Arena.Alex Pledger recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds while veteran guard kirk Penney chipped in with 17.With key players Chris Goulding and Todd Blanchfield sidelined, United turned to reserve guard Kyle Adnam (19 points) and Tai Wesley (17) but were unable to prevent a third-straight defeat for the home side.The Breakers dominated early with strong rebounding and accurate outside shooting to build a 27-13 lead late in the opening quarter.But the introduction of Adnam sparked the home side, the reserve guard scoring 10 straight points in a 13-0 United run.David Andersens hook shot saw Melbourne take their first lead of the match with three minutes left in the half but two quick baskets from import forward Akil Mitchell helped New Zealand go into the main break ahead 41-40.United kept up the pace in the third quarter with Adnam, Wesley and Nate Tomlinson hitting from outside in a 19-6 surge.Down by eight at the final change, Abercrombie caught fire with four three-pointers to give the Breaker a 83-81 lead before Ramone Moore sent the game into overtime.The Breakers will aim for three straight wins when they host the Brisbane Bullets on Sunday, and Melbourne hit the road to face the Illawarra Hawks.Breakers coach Paul Henare felt confident that his veteran leaders would find a way to win despite at times not being at their best.Weve got guys that have won championships and have been through the ringer in multiple situations, said Henare. Youve got to have that level of trust with your guys.Obviously we needed to dig deep and guys needed to step up ... but happy for them to get the result that they deserved.Despite being unhappy with the outcome, Melbourne coach Dean Demopoulos could not fault the effort of his undermanned team.My guys played as well as they could but the other team was better, said Demopoulos.We had opportunities to win the game in regulation but couldnt get it done.Demopoulos praised young guard Kyle Adnam who played a major role in keeping United in the match.When he got his opportunity, he made the most out of it ... it just wasnt quite enough, he said. .ca NBA Power Rankings, ahead of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. .5 million, one-year contract on Friday. Hawkins, who turns 41 in December, will compete with Rex Brothers for the closers role at spring training. . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period. . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. World No. 6 Henrik Stenson admits time is running out as he tries to become the first male Swedish player to win a major title.Stenson had recorded 13 top-four finishes without a victory before claiming his first win since November 2014 in the BMW International Open in Germany a fortnight ago.But having turned 40 in April, the Ryder Cup star knows the odds are against him claiming one of the games four biggest prizes given the high level of competition.We know chances arent going to increase the older you get and I think the big change compared to way back is the young players. They are more ready to go at an earlier age, Stenson said ahead of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.Competition is getting stronger every year and youve got to work harder as an older player to stay on top of your game. Overall, Im feeling in pretty good shape [although] Ive got my niggles like everyone else. But Im trying to manage them and I think Im in a pretty good sppot.ddddddddddddStenson is hoping the Scottish Open returning to Castle Stuart will prove to be a good omen having finished third here in 2013 and then second in the Open at Muirfield the following week.I didnt play in the next two years and I didnt do well at the Open Championship so I think for myself its definitely better to be competitive the week before a major when possible, Stenson added.And also in terms of links golf, it always takes a few rounds, a few days to get used to the difference in playing links compared to target golf like we play most other weeks.I think its great to have the Scottish the week before the Open and to have it on a links course. Loch Lomond is a lovely venue but wasnt ideal potentially for that reason. Youre playing a fairly soft and receptive golf course the week before youre going on to links. ' ' '
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