Sport

Breakers left to rue third term lapse against Wallan

By Alexander Dabb

Oct 19, 2026

The Breakers were left to rue a third term lapse against Wallan at the weekend.

Benalla has been left to rue a slow third term in its round three North East Men Country Basketball League against Wallan, going down by 24 points in what was an otherwise competitive showing from the Breakers.

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Hosting the 2025 runner-up Panthers in the Saturday night showdown at Benalla Indoor Recreation Centre, the Breakers took the fight right up to Wallan, eventually going down 75-99 but with the overwhelming majority of the damage contained to the third term.

Returning to the court following a round two bye, the Breakers made a positive start to the contest, recovering from an early seven-point deficit to trail by one at quarter time, down 21-22 though right in the contest.

The match followed a similar pattern in the second term, as Wallan again jumped out to a slight advantage, though never more than a handful of points, as Benalla continually closed the gap before the margin would be pushed out by the Panthers, who converted two free throws on the cusp of half time to lead Benalla 45-48 at the main break.

The Breakers had brought the fight to that point, and looked set to push the Panthers all the way in the second half, however the visitors flipped the script with a stunning burst to start the third term.

With the first six baskets after half-time, the Breakers piled on an unanswered 15 points to lead by 18 in the blink of an eye, before hitting a game-high 26-point lead midway through the third quarter, as the Breakers struggled to match the intensity.

While the home side cut the deficit to 21 by the final change, the lapse had done all the damage, with the Breakers outscored 12-30 in the third term to trail 57-78 heading into the final quarter.

A much more competitive response from Benalla ensued, but the Breakers were unable to eat into the margin, with the visitors eventually closing out the win by 24 points.

Sam Beks led the way with an equal game-high 24 points for Benalla, well supported by 19 from Matthew Bartlett, while Matthew Hedger and Elbie Yel each tipped in eight points as the next best contributors.

The Breakers slip to a 1-2 record following the loss and will look to regroup with the bye this weekend, before facing a trip to Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre to take on the reigning premier in round five on Saturday, October 31.