The Santa Barbara Breakers look to protect their perfect record when the Long Beach Rockets come to town this Saturday for a 7 p.m. game at San Marcos High School.
Santa Barbara is currently 2-0, while Long Beach sits at 2-1.
“The Rockets will bring great quickness and speed,” Head Coach Curt Pickering said. “We will have to play great defense and limit their fast break opportunities.”
While defense will be a key, Santa Barbara has found success on the offensive end.
Leading the Breakers offensively are Jerry Dupree with 24.5 points per game and Tim Taylor with 24 points per game. Greg Somogyi, who averages 21.5 points, 21.5 rebounds, and four blocks per game, comes off a phenomenal game in which he tallied 33 points and 33 rebounds.
The 33 rebounds set a Breakers and WCBL record.
Also expected to suit up will be Zack Marbury, the brother of former NBA guard Stephen Marbury. Marbury averaged 21 points and 11 assists with Santa Barbara last season and was a starter on the 2011 championship team.
In their first year with the WCBL, the Rockets also have three offensive threats. Tony Farmer, who averaged 6.28 points per game with the Golden State Warriors in 1999-2000, leads the Long Beach offense with 18.5 points and eight rebounds per game. C.J. Johnson and Theron Laudermill also average double figures with 15 and 16 points per game, respectively.
“Tony Farmer brings great three point shooting,” Pickering said. “And the style of Coach [Kirk] Turner is to screen endlessly, working for layups and cutting wings going to the
basket. It should be an exciting match-up and game for fans to see.”
Turner is no stranger to the WCBL either. He led the Newport Beach Surf to two consecutive WCBL championship finals, losing to the Breakers in 2009.
Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. at San Marcos High School.
