‘King of the North’ McVeigh leads Taipans to gritty win over JackJumpers

The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans snapped a seven-game losing streak with a gutsy 75-69 victory over the Tasmania JackJumpers in a grinding Indigenous Round clash at the Silverdome on Saturday afternoon.

Facing his former club for the first time since helping guide them to the 2024 NBL championship, scoring machine Jack McVeigh led the charge for Cairns with 23 points (9-20 FG), six rebounds and two assists.

McVeigh’s poise and passion anchored his side through a physical, low-scoring contest that put their defensive grit and spirit in the spotlight.

The Taipans were in control for much of the game, leading 18-15 at quarter-time and 41-30 at the main break before holding off a late JackJumpers surge.

Bruising forward Admiral Schofield opened hot from mid-range and deep, finishing with 18 points (7-14 FG, 3-7 3P) and six rebounds, while dynamic guard Andrew Andrews was unstoppable from long range — pouring in 27 points (9-15 FG, 4-4 3P) and three assists.

Remarkably, the star trio of McVeigh, Andrews and Schofield combined for 68 of Cairns’ 75 points, carrying the offensive load from start to finish in one of the most concentrated scoring efforts in recent NBL memory.

The Taipans were near-flawless in their ball control, recording just three turnovers for the entire game — the lowest by any side under Head Coach Adam Forde, and the second lowest in Taipans franchise history.

"When adversity hits — Reyne Smith going down with an injury before halftime, having three foul shots after three quarters and a short rotation — you just have to dig deep on a road double.

"The Brisbane game wasn’t great and tonight was a chance to answer back. Regardless of the result, there's an expectation and a way we want to play. We've got to build on this victory and keep moving forward.

"You can win or lose and have players in and out of the line-up, but you have to play hard. Play with effort, heart and passion. It shows and there is a clear night and day of what that product looks like for us."

Head Coach Adam Forde

Defensively, Cairns lived up to its reputation as the league’s top three-point stoppers, holding Tasmania to just 4-25 from beyond the arc (16 per cent) with it proving decisive in the contest.

Bryce Hamilton led Tasmania with 21 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Josh Bannan added 12 points and 12 rebounds. Former Taipans Ben Ayre and Majok Deng also faced their old side, while Taipans lob threat Marcus Lee was also a member of the NBL24 championship with the JackJumpers. Ayre, who featured for the Taipans across two seasons from 2021 to 2023 was last week selected in the Australian Boomers roster for the upcoming FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

The Taipans took the floor in their 2025 Indigenous Round jersey, designed by Gimuy Walubarra Yidinji Elder Uncle Hendrick ‘Henry’ Fourmile, featuring artwork inspired by the Seven Sisters Dreamtime story.

The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans now head home ahead of their only Round 8 fixture when they host the Illawarra Hawks on Friday, 7 November, at the Cairns Convention Centre from 6:30pm. Grab your tickets for their return to the Far North HERE.