SUPERB IMPORT FIRES BULLETS AGAINST TAIPANS
FOURTH-QUARTER killer Travis Trice says Brisbane players owed themselves, the club and fans the fighting effort that lifted the Bullets to a gritty 82-74 victory over Cairns in the NBL’s “Sunshine Stoush’’ yesterday.
US import Trice scored 15 of his game-high 17 points in the last quarter including seven of the Bullets’ last nine points to outlast the depleted Taipans in a see-sawing final term in Brisbane.
The Bullets suffered an embarrassing 31-point loss to Illawarra in Round 5 in the same building and they were determined to make amends.
Cairns hit the lead inside the last two minutes after two three-pointers from guard Mitch McCarron but Trice – a former Snake – was having none of it.
He scored the next seven points with two clinical jump shots and two free throws to hand Brisbane their third win for the season (3-4) which sees them leapfrog Cairns (4-6) into sixth place on the ladder.
“I’m just happy to get a win, regardless of who we are playing, especially after last week with the performance (against Illawarra),’’ Trice said. “We feel like we owe not only ourselves but the fans and our organisation … we’ve got to play better.’’
Trice also had eight assists while Brisbane centre Tom Jervis was strong inside with 14 points and seven rebounds.
US import Perrin Buford had 11 points and eight rebounds.
Taipans skipper Cam Gliddon scored 15 points, guard Jarred Weeks added 14 points for the Snakes while McCarron and Stephen Weigh chimed in with 12 points apiece.