TAIPANS ON TOP
Down stars but still dominant
NO Michael Carrera. No Nate Jawai. Absolutely no worries at all for the Cairns Taipans in the opening weekend of the 2017-18 NBL season.
Without stars Carrera and Jawai, the Snakes followed up their pulsating home opening win over Illawarra on Friday evening with a workmanlike victory across the ditch against the New Zealand Breakers yesterday afternoon.
Their second triumph of the season was secured with a brilliant third term across the ditch yesterday as the Snakes outscored the hosts 24-11 to put them in a winning position.
The eventual winning margin was 82-71 as the Snakes were in control for much of the final term.
The win leaves them on top of the NBL ladder after the first round for just the second time in franchise history.
While Alex Loughton provided the unexpected offensive punch on Friday, it was fellow veteran forward Stephen Weigh this time for the Snakes.
Weigh was efficient from the field to finish with 17 points on 8-13 shooting.
But the most pleasing aspect of the victory for the club would have to be the form of new floor general Scoochie Smith.
Smith played his best game in orange as he dropped 18 points and handed out five assists, outplaying the Breakers’ guard pairing of Edgar Sosa and DJ Newbill.
The first-year pro barely featured on debut on Friday but was much more integrated into the offence against the Breakers as well as showing off his tremendous ball-handling skills and scoring around the rim despite taking contact.
Snakes coach Aaron Fearne always focuses on his club’s defence and spoke glowingly of the squad’s efforts yesterday.
“Defensively, we were really, really good,” Fearne said.
“I can’t fault the guys’ effort, it has been sensational for the first two games of the season.”
The hosts led by double digits in the first half but the Snakes grinded away in the second and third terms.
After trailing at halftime, the Snakes went on a 18-6 run to start the third term with import pair Smith and Jerry Evans Jr lifting their output.
The third term was all the Snakes as they erased that deficit and quickly turned it into a double-digit lead, outscoring the Breakers by 13 in the term to set up a matchwinning advantage.
Loughton backed up his Friday heroics with nine points while Damon Heuir added nine from the bench as well.
The bench unit again played their part for the Snakes as they outscored their opponents 26-11 across the game.
The men in orange have owned the Kiwis recently, winning all four meetings last season and yesterday’s triumph made it five in a row.
The third round is just days away as the 1-1 Adelaide 36ers land in the Far North for a Thursday-night contest.
I CAN’T FAULT THE GUYS’ EFFORT, IT HAS BEEN SENSATIONAL FOR THE FIRST TWO GAMES OF THE SEASON TAIPANS COACH AARON FEARNE