Andrews inspires Taipans’ road upset as short-handed Cairns crush Illawarra

The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans walked into Wollongong with a shortened rotation and walked out with the upset of their season, stunning the reigning premiers Illawarra Hawks 93–76 at WIN Entertainment Centre on Saturday night.

Missing star Boomer Jack McVeigh — who stayed in Cairns for the birth of his first child — as well as big man Sam Waardenburg and starting guard Reyne Smith, Taipans Head Coach Adam Forde backed a small-ball, undermanned group to punch above their weight.

From the opening tip they did exactly that, battling hard as Forde marshalled his troops on the road to silence a packed house.

Portland point guard Andrew Andrews set the tone and never let go of the wheel.

The mid-range maestro equalled his NBL career-high with 27 points (10-20 FG, 5-10 from three) and six assists, firing in a string of tough jumpers from range and repeatedly connecting in pick-and-roll with the Taipans’ only genuine big man Marcus Lee (12 points).

Lee was in full Space Jam spirit, throwing down two monster dunks in the opening half to ignite the Taipans bench and keep the Hawks crowd quiet.

When Illawarra began doubling Andrews in the second half, the 32-year old kept his composure and controlled the tempo.

Around him, it was a true full-team effort. Four other Taipans joined Andrews in double figures as Cairns owned the effort areas despite their outs.

Admiral Schofield delivered 17 points (5-9 FG, 2-5 from deep) and 11 rebounds, while Kyrin Galloway produced the first double-double of his NBL career with 16 points (6-17 FG, 3-7 from three) and 14 boards, including seven offensive rebounds.

Mojave King chipped in 12 of his own and rotation guard Lachlan Barker provided steady ball handling off the bench whenever the Hawks turned up the heat on Andrews.

The tone was set early. Cairns’ hustle defence and control with the ball saw them win the first-quarter rebound count 17-9 and keep turnovers to a minimum in an arm wrestle that was locked at 20-20 at the first break.

From there they turned control into separation. A 44-29 surge in the second quarter quietened WIN Entertainment Centre, and they went to half-time up 49-34 having coughed up just four turnovers and leading the boards 26-13.

Illawarra arrived riding the hot hand of QJ Peterson after his 42-point explosion against SEM Phoenix and three-time NBA champion JaVale McGee had starred against Cairns for 29 in their last meeting.

This time, the Taipans’ undersized front line refused to budge. Lee even stepped in to take a charge on McGee, who finished with 17 points (6-17 FG) and 11 rebounds, while Will Hickey (10 points, 6 assists, 11 boards) and Daniel Grida (18 points, 6-7 FG) were forced to scrap for everything.

Cairns opened the second half by snaring three offensive boards in the space of two minutes, then blew the game open to 62–39 — a 23-point buffer and their biggest lead of the season — as they continued to dominate the glass.

‍Taipans Head Coach Adam Forde:

“The FIBA break offered time to put new things in place, refresh heavy legs and re-evaluate things we wanted to address.

“Being able to come into Illawarra, which is always a tough venue and match-up, and get the win, it was a group effort.

"Little things and one-percenters make a difference in wins. The offensive rebound Kyrin Galloway got to convert a putback two, it started with Kody Stattmann getting a tap on the loose ball. Lachlan Barker boxing out on the defensive end and tapping the ball to Admiral Schofield. It’s all the little things that don’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet.

"Sometimes with guys out, we need that kind of adversity to really knuckle up and play every possession. We couldn’t spectate. Across the board everyone had to contribute. They didn’t have to step outside themselves, they just had to play their natural game.”

The Taipans finished with 51 rebounds to Illawarra’s 41 and a staggering 16 offensive rebounds, remarkable numbers for a side with just one true centre in uniform.

Cairns local Kody Stattmann, starting in his first game back from a hamstring injury, had key moments in the opening half. 

All the while, the Taipans did it in style, rolling out their colourful Space Jam Special Edition jerseys for the first time as they stunned the reigning premiers on their home floor. 

It was a statement road victory built on hustle and gritty defence, with the Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans now set to welcome back Waardenburg for his long-awaited season debut and McVeigh when they return home and host the Tasmania JackJumpers on Saturday, 13 December at 4:30pm. Grab your tickets HERE.