Andrews inspires strong bounce back

Closing out Round 2 of their 2025-26 campaign with two wins, the Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans have recorded their largest turnaround from a season opening loss in franchise history.

With the previous record standing from the 2024-25 season when they rebounded from their 27-point loss against Illawarra in Round 1 before their narrow win over Adelaide, it now sits at 37 points after their loss to the Phoenix.

However, the side are eager not to repeat their performance at John Cain Arena, with it forming a reason to push harder both on and off the court.

“I think we’re more locked in than ever. It’s always great to get to games and win a weekend, and I think the first game really motivated us to raise our level and lock in to what Fordey has been preaching all preseason,” said Taipans forward Admiral Schofield.

Joining the squad only days prior to their Round 2 derby with the Brisbane Bullets, Andrew Andrews has made an immediate impact on the side.

After missing his first eight attempts of the night, the guard hit three of his final five attempts – including two triples – to reach eight points, with four assists and a rebound.

Immediately hitting the road for Cairns’ road trip to Sydney, Andrews stepped up to another level with his contributions against the Kings reaching 16 points, seven dimes, two rebounds and a steal – leading both sides in the assists category.

Nearly two months after making his own way to Cairns from the United States, team-mate Admiral Schofield was quick to praise him on how quickly he adapted to the environment.

“I can attest to how tough it is to adjust to the time zone. I mean, it probably felt like he was playing at three in the morning, which is very, very difficult for a basketball player,” Schofield explained.

“So just to see his toughness and how he’s trying to adjust and really compete for us is very encouraging for everyone on the team.”

Already helping lead the squad, the veteran has found his voice quickly as he finds his feet in Australia.

Offering quick lines of advice to the squad, Andrews has brought his experience with him from a career that’s seen him compete at the highest levels across Europe.

Suiting up for basketball powerhouse Panathinaikos, as well as a host of other clubs across Turkey, Greece, Latvia and Israel, his guidance is something that the club has welcomed as they look to build upon their strong weekend.

“He’s already dropped some good gems at practice where he said a little one liner, and it’s like ‘Yeah, that’s actually quite relevant’,” said Taipans Head Coach Adam Forde.

“So, you can see his directional leadership straight out of the gate, and when we get more minute’s training with each other and feeding off what our strengths and weaknesses are, that’s only going to continue getting better.”

Whilst Andrews has been quick to help guide the group as a whole, he’s also focused on helping Reyne Smith through his rookie season as he finds his feet after his successful college career.

Entering the NBL after draining over 400 threes across 133 games at the collegiate level, the guard immediately impressed on debut with 19 points in Melbourne, with Andrews joining him in the ball carrying duties.

“Andrew was here for pretty much one practice and straight into a double header, so there’s still a lot to figure out. But just talking to him on the sidelines and on the court, he’s a super smart player,” said Taipans guard Reyne Smith.

“He’s been playing around the world for a long time so he really knows what he’s doing and is helping me as much as he can, so he’s definitely been great early on.”

As the guard settles in to life in Cairns, the Taipans will now prepare for a crazy October schedule which features five home games – including their first Ignite Cup fixture against the Wildcats.

Repeatedly facing the high calibre rosters of Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth, the squad will be looking to continue their winning form from Round 2 with Forde praising the path that the team is going down.

“The weekend has helped install the confidence that we’re on the right path. Any time that you can get early road wins especially, it helps set the table of what you want your weeks to look like,” explained Forde.

“But the big mindset now with this group is that we’ve done our review and we’ve closed that chapter very quickly, and now we’ve moved on to a very tough Adelaide that we host in two days.”

The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans now return to the Cairns Convention Centre for their Thursday night fixture to face the Adelaide 36ers. With a win seeing the Taipans jump to second on the ladder – their highest position on the ladder since 2023-24 – it’ll be a crucial game for the side. Grab your tickets HERE.