Waardenburg Shines Early, Hawks Surge Late

The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans produced an impressive second-quarter response at WIN Entertainment Centre on Saturday afternoon, but a dominant second half from the Illawarra Hawks proved decisive in a 96-78 defeat.

Illawarra struck first, opening up a double-digit lead in the opening quarter behind interior pressure and second-chance opportunities, but Cairns steadied through Australian Boomer Jack McVeigh’s shot-making and Sam Waardenburg’s downhill aggression.

McVeigh set the tone with nine first-quarter points, then went to work in the midrange as the Taipans erased the deficit early in the second term.

Cairns found rhythm offensively, pouring in 31 points in their highest-scoring quarter of the season.

Kiwi centre Waardenburg was a constant problem for the Hawks defence, attacking the paint, drawing fouls and stretching the floor by knocking down threes.

McVeigh capped the half in style, beating the buzzer with an outrageous one-legged midrange jumper to send Cairns into the break leading 49-45. Despite Illawarra taking 43 shots to the Taipans 31, controlling the possession battle through offensive rebounds.

The game turned decisively after halftime. Illawarra burst out of the gates with a 13-3 run, sparked by champion guard Tyler Harvey’s (18 points from 7-13 FG) back-to-back three-pointers and went on to win the third quarter 27-15.

The Hawks’ defensive pressure disrupted Cairns’ flow and fuelled transition scoring, allowing the home side to reclaim control and build separation.

Cairns struggled to consistently generate offence in the final quarter as Illawarra extended the margin and closed out the contest with authority.

Electric guard Mojave King chipped in 11 points (5-9 FG) and five rebounds, bursting to the rim in transition on a number of occasions.

Taipans Head Coach Adam Forde:
‍“To have the lead we had in the first half while still giving up nine offensive rebounds. There were a lot of effort aspects that compounded. Credit to Illawarra, they kept us in the middle third of the court and pushed us to the sideline. We kept trying to force the issue and turning the ball over.”

“They were relentless in the third quarter. They put their foot on our throat and didn’t relent.”

“The things that swing momentum a lot of times come down to effort and execution. We addressed in the first half that we were making errors with the pindown action with JaVale McGee and Tyler Harvey. We adjusted that and it helped. Then we reverted back to those same errors in the second half, which were costly with Harvey hitting some back-breaking threes from the Hawks' floppy sets.”

“Our problem is finding consistency week to week, not in terms of making shots but in terms of effort.”

Sam v Sam
The matchup between Waardenburg and Hawks co-captain Sam Froling (16 points from 7-10 FG and six rebounds) loomed large in the build-up, with both premier big men having returned in December after long injury layoffs this season.

Waardenburg (ankle) and Froling (Achilles) traded blows early, anchoring their respective frontcourts in a physical contest that set the tone inside.

Galloway's Milestone Night
Kyrin Galloway marked a personal milestone, playing his 50th game for the Taipans and finishing with nine points (3-7 FG) and nine rebounds.

After starting the season off the bench, Galloway has claimed a spot in the starting five.

His energy and shooting provided key support as Cairns battled through long stretches under pressure.

Admiral Battles Inside
Taipans import Admiral Schofield provided a strong lift off the bench after not featuring on New Year’s Eve, reaching double figures with 10 points, three rebounds and two assists.

The former Orlando Magic forward battled admirably against three-time NBA champion JaVale McGee (16 points from 7-12 FG and 10 rebounds) in the paint, using his strength to compete through the height mismatch when guarding him for stretches.

The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans now turn their attention to Melbourne United this Wednesday on the road. Taipans then return to the Cairns Convention Centre for a Queensland rivalry clash against the Brisbane Bullets on Saturday, January 10. Grab your tickets HERE.