A New Zealand Breakers team missing most of their first-choice roster have lost a pre-season game to the touring Wisconsin Badgers.
The Breakers went down 85-75 to the NCAA college team from the United States in the first of two games, with the visitors benefiting from 28 points from guard Brevin Pritzl.
Tall Blacks forwards Mika Vukona and Thomas Abercrombie played in the Breakers selection but a host of developmental players were needed to complete the team.
The second game is in Tauranga on Thursday.
The Breakers will compete in the NBL Blitz tournament near Melbourne in early September, a month out from the start of their NBL campaign.
