Harbour Breeze, at full strength for the first time this season, moved a step closer to a Women’ Basketball Championship (WBC) Division 1 play-off berth with a hard earned 73-64 victory over cross-town rivals Auckland Dream at AUT Sports Centre on Friday night.

Deena Franklin was active on the offensive boards early on as the Breeze overcame an early deficit to lead 17-13 at quarter-time.

Baskets were hard to come by in the second quarter but a couple of scores from Penina Davidson helped the Breeze to a 24-25 lead at the main break.

The game came to life in the third quarter as the hosts stretched their advantage to 48-40. Breeze forward Keeley Tini, back from her freshman season at Hutchinson Community College, was a spark off the bench scoring nine points in the period. Davidson was also busy inside collecting six points. At the other end of the floor American guard Casyn Buchman dropped a couple from beyond the arc to avoid the Breeze lead stretching to alarming proportions.A Tayla Dalton three gave the Breeze a 14 point advantage three minutes into the final period but sisters Charmian Mellars and Natalie Taylor dragged the Dream back into contention. The pair helped the Dream put together a 9-0 run to close within 5 points (59-54) with five minutes to play.

However Dalton, Ella Fotu and Akiene-Tera Reed (12 points and 10 rebounds) scored the next six points between them and with 2:30 to play the Breeze led 65-54.

The Dream scored the next four points before Reed again converted an athletic drive and although the Dream weren’t quite finished Tini calmly knocked down four straight free-throws to seal a fifth win of the season and wrestle the Ross Williams trophy away from Auckland.

Next up for the Breeze is a home game against Waikato Wizards at 3pm on Sunday June 23^rd. That game will be preceded by a WBC Division 2 clash between Harbour Zephyr and Northland Phoenix at 12.30pm. Both games will be played at AUT Sports Centre, Akoranga Drive.

Breeze 73 – Keeley Tini 15, Penina Davidson 12/10r, Yume Negishi 10, Deena Franklin 10 Akiene-Tera Reed 8, Tayla Dalton 7, Ella Fotu 6

Dream 64 - Charmian Mellars 20/10r, Natalie Taylor 13 

WBC Division 1 Standings

6-2 Auckland Dream

5-2 Harbour Breeze

4-3 Waikato Wizards

4-4 Alloyfold Canterbury Wildcats, AM I FIT Otago Gold Rush

0-8 Taranaki Thunder