Andrews and McVeigh Steer Taipans to Gutsy Win Over Bullets

The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans leaned on the final quarter finishing of Andrew Andrews and the steady hand of Jack McVeigh to grind out a gutsy 88-83 win over the Brisbane Bullets on Monday night at the Cairns Convention Centre.

The rescheduled Queensland derby fixture got off to a blistering start by the home side.

Cairns jumped out to a 28-16 lead with longest-serving Taipan Sam Waardenburg perfect from the field, scoring 11 first-quarter points on 5-5 shooting, while power forward Kyrin Galloway stretched the floor and bullied the Bullets under the rim as the Taipans played downhill in front of the Orange Army.

Cairns controlled the contest through the first half, pushing the margin as far as 16 and taking a 47-35 lead into the main break, before Brisbane’s fightback arrived after halftime.

The Bullets turned the game into a scrap with repeated trips to the line, winning the third term and cutting the margin to 68-62 at three-quarter time.

Midway through that third quarter, Cairns were dealt a blow when Waardenburg went down with an ankle injury, forcing the Taipans to reshuffle rotations and find a different way to finish the job without their marquee man.

The final quarter became slow-paced and physical with every possession feeling heavier than the last.

Brisbane clawed all the way back to 81-81 with 1:22 remaining, but Andrews answered with huge net-bursting baskets to break the deadlock, then calmly hit back-to-back clutch free throws in the final seconds.

McVeigh finished it off with a late steal and the last basket, sealing a gritty win against their bitter rivals. 

McVeigh led Cairns with 25 points (11-18 FG), six rebounds, six assists and two steals, Andrews posted 18 points (5-13 FG) and equalling his season-high 13 assists and shot blocker Galloway continued his strong form with 19 points (8-11 FG) and five rebounds.
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Taipans Head Coach Adam Forde:
“It was an ugly game. That’s not going to win too many beauty contests that game from both ends. Maldonado getting to the foul line. The grind out ending which credit to Jack McVeigh and Andrew Andrews to make some plays. We became spectators on the offensive end and a bit passive on the defensive end (in the second half)."

“The first quarter was great and the last four or five possessions (to close the game) were great. Everything in between was a bit clunky.”

“Credit to Brisbane and Darryl McDonald, they flew up for the original gameday on Saturday. With the news of the warning of the cyclone, they travelled back to Brisbane for a day and then travelled up again. I know that can be taxing, credit to McDonald and the Bullets.”

Andrews vs Maldonado
It was a heavyweight duel at the point, with Andrews and Brisbane’s recent import signing Hunter Maldonado trading control and crunch-time answers.

Andrews orchestrated the Taipans offence with seven assists in the opening quarter and 13 for the game (matching the season-high he recorded against Melbourne United last time out) repeatedly creating clean looks and making the right read as the game tightened.

Former Phoenix guard Maldonado (31 points from 9-16 FG and 13-18 FT, five assists and six rebounds) kept Brisbane’s comeback alive with his scoring and playmaking, but Andrews’ late three and ice-cold free throws proved decisive when the game was on the line.
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Galloway Ignites
Galloway’s night was a blueprint of what Cairns needed. Spacing, decisiveness and aggression.

He got the Taipans rolling early, scoring efficiently across the first half and adding key rim protection and versatility against an undersized Bullets line-up.

With Brisbane leaning into a smaller look without big man Tyrell Harrison (concussion), Galloway’s ability to punish mismatches and still compete defensively was crucial to Cairns building its early buffer.

McVeigh vs Ducas
Former Houston Rocket McVeigh’s duel with former Oklahoma shooter Alex Ducas had a little extra spice, with the two previous NBA forwards matching up across key stretches.

Brisbane threw bodies and double teams at McVeigh late, but he stayed composed, facilitating when help came, hunting his moments when it didn’t and then delivering a game-sealing defensive play with the late steal before scoring the final basket. His all-round line was the difference in a close finish.

The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans now head to HoopsFest in Perth for their fixture against the New Zealand Breakers on Saturday, before playing the Wildcats and the Phoenix the following week on the road. The Taipans then return to the Far North for their next home fixture against the Tasmania JackJumpers on Friday, January 30. Grab your tickets HERE.‍