A career night from Alex Pledger and Mika Vukona’s best all-round performance of the season sparked the NZ Breakers to a big-time win over the Gold Coast Blaze at the NSEC tonight. With six players in double-figures and a resounding rebound count in their favour, the Breakers simply had too much firepower for the Blaze as the defending champions extended their league-best record to 8-3 with a runaway 106-85 victory. It did not look promising early on, with the Blaze making a scorching start, but once the Australian NBL’s best team settled into their rhythm they were always a notch above the men from the sunshine state. Vukona had a special night with a game-high 21 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a pair of steals - a return which saw him become the first Breaker to bring up 1000 points and 1000 rebounds in the NBL. Not far behind, the hard-nosed power forward was back-up centre Alex Pledger who had a career-high 18 points (8/10 FG) and six rebounds, and provided valuable scoring momentum off the bench. Last week’s star Thomas Abercrombie wasn’t quite as dominant, but 18 points, 10 boards, two steals and two blocks represented a fair night’s work, while Cedric ‘Action’ Jackson also stuffed the stats as he added 14 points, four rebounds, seven assists and six steals in a busy night. Dead-eye Daryl Corletto continued his outstanding form with 18 points, including four big three-pointers that always seemed to come at vital times, while Gary Wilkinson was the sixth Breaker in double-figures with a quiet 11 points and eight rebounds. It was a typically high-scoring, freewheeling first half as the Breakers eked out a 58-50 halftime lead in 20 minutes that gave the 3000 fans plenty of bang for their buck. The Blaze – still seething from their loss in Cairns last weekend – came out red-hot, shooting 65 percent from the floor as they surged to a 31-25 lead at the end of the first period. James Harvey alone poured in a dozen for the visitors as they found their range early. But Mika Vukona’s 10 points and five offensive boards kept the Breakers in the hunt early, and after a few crucial adjustments between quarters the tide eventually turned. In the second quarter it was the Breakers connecting on the open shots – Corletto and Pledger at one stage combining for 12 straight points – as the home side won the spell 33-19, and took a decisive lead into the locker-room. Abercrombie was also warming to his task, finishing the half with 11 points, five rebounds, a steal and a block. Ad Feedback Things looked to be progressing all too easily for the Breakers in the third quarter as they extended the lead to 16 midway through the period, before the fuse rather got lit at the 4:43 mark. Blaze forward Anthony Petrie looked to have fouled Jackson going for a loose ball, but when the call didn’t come an annoyed Jackson tossed the ball at Petrie. That sparked a hoops equivalent of a rolling maul with all 10 players involved in a moving melee that eventually ended with Petrie and Breaker swingman Leon Henry sent off, and the visitors shooting a pair of free-throws. With emotions surging, and the Blaze ramping up their defensive pressure, the Breakers could have lost their grip on things. But, to their credit, they kept their cool, took an 11-point lead into the final break and were never threatened over the run home. The Breakers smashed the Blaze 48-22 on the boards and also shot a more-than-respectable 53 percent from the floor as they put together arguably their best performance of the season against a dangerous foe. Next stop is Adelaide on Sunday. There will be a few bruises to rub out before then. NZ Breakers 106 (Mika Vukona 21, Daryl Corletto 18, Thomas Abercrombie 18, Alex Pledger 18, Cedric Jackson 14, Gary Wilkinson 11), Gold Coast Blaze 85 (James Harvey 19, Will Hudson 19, Adris DeLeon 15, Adam Gibson 10). 1Q: 25-31; HT: 58-50; 3Q: 82-71. - Stuff