Taipans’ rally falls short in HoopsFest loss to Breakers

The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans’ two-game surge hit a speed bump on the HoopsFest stage, with the New Zealand Breakers pulling away after halftime to claim a 104-86 win at RAC Arena on Saturday night.

Cairns were on the back foot early as former Taipan Sam Mennenga set an aggressive tone inside, helping New Zealand establish a 26-21 quarter-time lead. The Taipans steadied through Andrew Andrews’ early shots and then found their best patch in the second term, when livewire Mojave King and former Orlando Magic forward Admiral Schofield erupted to drag Cairns right back into the contest.

But with the game tightening, the night delivered a major turning point midway through the second quarter when coach Adam Forde was ejected after receiving two technical fouls.

Lead Assistant Will Lopez took the reins for the remainder of the match and while the Taipans continued to compete, the Breakers’ began to take control.

At the main break, New Zealand still held a 55-51 edge. That four-point margin stretched out to double digits in the third quarter, forcing Cairns into a chase game for the remainder of the night.

New Zealand carried a 12-point buffer into the last change and the Taipans couldn’t quite manufacture the sustained stops and scores required to reel them back in.

King and Schofield finished with 19 points apiece to lead Cairns, with Portland playmaker Andrews adding 15.

Jack McVeigh’s shot didn’t fall the way it has in recent Breakers meetings, but he still impacted across the floor with 13 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as Cairns tried to stay connected through ball movement and second efforts.

Marcus Lee chipped in eight points, while Cairns local Kody Stattmann was impactful off the bench. 

For New Zealand, Mennenga powered his side with 28 points and five rebounds, while Izaiah Brockington added 24 to punish closeouts as the Breakers pulled away.

Andrews v Jackson-Cartwright
The pre-game headline was the floor-general battle and the Breakers got the upper hand through Parker Jackson-Cartwright’s ability to control tempo and create scoring chances..

The Breakers playmaker finished with 17 points, 10 assists and five steals, the steals particularly damaging as they turned Cairns’ empty trips into instant Breakers momentum.

Andrews battled with 15 points, but New Zealand’s pressure limited Cairns’ flow late, and the Taipans couldn’t consistently win the possession game once the Breakers found separation.

Heading into round 17, Jackson-Cartwright leads New Zealand in scoring and assists with 16.7 points and 7.5 assists per game, while the point guard and Andrews (7.4) sit second and third in the NBL in assists behind 36ers superstar Bryce Cotton.

Galloway 150
Kyrin Galloway brought his usual edge in his 150th NBL appearance, battling through a physical night to finish with five points, five rebounds and a steady presence on both ends.

It wasn’t the fairytale milestone result, but his energy and willingness to do the tough jobs kept Cairns connected during their best stretches.
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Waardenburg Woes
Cairns entered HoopsFest already navigating life without their longest-serving player Sam Waardenburg, who has been ruled out for a minimum of six weeks with high-grade ATFL/CFL damage in his left ankle.

Against a Breakers front line led by Mennenga, his big man presence was sorely missed in the paint.  

‍The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans now remain in Perth playing the Wildcats, before heading east to face the Phoenix. 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.‍