Perth Prevails Late in Cairns Clash

Despite a fierce effort from Andrew Andrews on his home court, the Taipans fell agonisingly short, going down 77–80 against the Wildcats at the Cairns Convention Centre on Friday night.

Dynamic guard Andrews might be new to Cairns, but he’s already taken the reins. With a mix of flair and control, he proved himself a conductor on the court, finishing with 21 points and keeping the Taipans within striking distance deep into the game.

But a dangerous Wildcat duo proved too strong. Dominant big man Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. delivered an imposing line with 30 points and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes for Perth, while Dylan Windler added 26 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists, shooting 11-of-15 from the field. The deadly duo made key plays down the stretch that ultimately separated the sides.

Taipans Head Coach Adam Forde said the game slipped out of their hands in the third quarter. 

“It’s disappointing because I felt that was a point of the game where we could’ve potentially broken out,” he said. 

“The first seven possessions of the third quarter we had six defensive stops. Back to back offensive rebounds (by Perth) broke the back of it and Windler had a hand in both. On the offensive end we were rushing perimeter shots.” 

The Wildcats came out locked in from the opening tip — Lual-Acuil Jr. opened the scoring within seconds before Kristian Doolittle and Mason Jones joined in to give Perth a 7–2 start. But the Snakes responded with a 15–4 run to close out the opening quarter and level the score.

In a gritty defensive performance from both sides, the Taipans held a two-point margin at the main break before slipping to a one-point deficit by the end of the third quarter — unable to break the deadlock by the final buzzer.

“The numbers are telling, we still have things to work on,” Forde said. 

“We are limited in the sense we’ve got two or three players looking to score. We need to open the playbook up more and get opportunistic scoring up on the offensive end. Despite all that we still found ourselves up in the third quarter.”

Marcus Lee was effective in the paint and on the boards, finishing with 12 points and 12 rebounds (six offensive and six defensive) in 31 minutes. His presence kept second-chance opportunities alive and helped the Taipans remain competitive.

Off the bench, Alex Higgins-Titsha made a strong contribution late in the game. In 19 minutes he collected nine rebounds and generated four steals, along with seven points. His hustle and defensive energy provided a spark when the starters needed a lift.

Meanwhile, former Taipan Lat Mayen returned to face his old side.

It was a tough one to swallow for the Taipans with strong efforts all round, but falling by a mere three-points after neither side was able to stretch the lead into double digits. Andrews was a standout, Lee held firm, and Higgins-Titsha made a valuable impact off the bench.

The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans will now hit the road for a quick turnaround, facing Melbourne United this Sunday afternoon before returning to the Far North as they continue their home-heavy October schedule. They'll host the Adelaide 36ers for the second time this month from 4:30pm on Saturday, 18 October - grab your tickets HERE.