It was a game of wild momentum swings, but Kyrin Galloway started the fourth quarter on fire, and that was enough for the Cairns Taipans to overcome a spirited Tasmania JackJumpers 93-87.<\/p>\n
It was the Snakes’ first home game at Cairns Convention Centre in NBL27 as they tried to bounce back from Sunday’s 21-point road loss to the Sydney Kings.<\/p>\n
Tasmania started their season with a gutsy five-point win over the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Monday night but lost Majok Deng afterwards, who joined Josh Bannan, Anthony Drmic, Ben Ayre and Bryce Hamilton on the sidelines.<\/p>\n
Cairns then took full advantage, opening a 20-point lead to start the second quarter after a 12-0 run late in the first, before Tasmania closed the half with a 28-9 run of their own.<\/p>\n
Scores were all level heading into three quarter-time after a buzzer beater from Keanu Pinder and then the Snakes opened the fourth term on fire including three bombs from Galloway to go back up 14.<\/p>\n
Tasmania still fired back to set up a thrilling finish but the Snakes held on to win by six on a night where they got up 10 extra shots and went 14\/32 from the outside.<\/p>\n
Jaylon Brown was playing his first game in Cairns and produced 20 points, five rebounds and four assists for the Snakes, with Galloway finishing with 19 points on 5\/7 three-point shooting.<\/p>\n
Jack McVeigh added 17 points, four rebounds and three assists, Keanu Pinder 11 points and three assists, and Malique Lewis 10 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals.<\/p>\n
Taran Armstrong returned to Cairns where he started his NBL career and produced 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds.<\/p>\n
David Johnson added another 18 points and seven rebounds, shooting 4\/6 from three, while Will Magnay delivered 17 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks; Dakota Mathias added 15 points and four boards; and Nick Marshall finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, and three assists.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Taipans were at home for the first time in NBL27 and closer to full strength, and after they were leading 17-13 with three minutes to go in the first quarter, they took control.<\/p>\n
The Snakes scored the next 12 points, including three-pointers from Shaun Bruce, Sunday Dech and Jaylin Galloway, before going into quarter-time up 32-16.<\/p>\n
Cairns shot a blistering 7\/9 from the outside in the first quarter before the lead grew to 20 to start the second term, but Tasmania worked its way back into the contest.<\/p>\n
The JackJumpers outscored the Taipans 28 -9 for the rest of the half and shot 10\/15 to cut the Cairns lead to 45-44 by half-time.<\/p>\n
After the hot shooting first quarter, the Snakes only ended up going 6\/24 from the field in the second and 1\/8 from deep with just the one free-throw in the entire first 20 minutes.<\/p>\n
It remained a tight battle in the third quarter and scores were locked at 66-66 by three quarter-time before Kyrin Galloway lit it up to start the fourth for Cairns.<\/p>\n
He hit three triples in the opening three minutes of the final frame, and the Snakes suddenly led 11 -6; that advantage grew to 14 with Jaylon Brown landing another long ball shortly after.<\/p>\n
But Tasmania weren\u2019t going to go down wondering, and they got all the way back within four inside the last two minutes after a Will Magnay put back, only for the Taipans to hold on to open their season at home with a six-point win.<\/p>\n
The Taipans will now back up again in Round 2 to take on the Adelaide 36ers on the road on Sunday while the JackJumpers have until next Thursday before hosting Melbourne United.<\/p>\n
CAIRNS TAIPANS 93 \u2013 TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 87<\/p>\n
Cairns Taipans
Jaylon Brown \u2013 20 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
Kyrin Galloway \u2013 19 points, 4 rebounds, 5\/7 3PT
Jack McVeigh \u2013 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
Keanu Pinder \u2013 11 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds
Malique Lewis \u2013 10 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists<\/p>\n
Tasmania JackJumpers
Taran Armstrong \u2013 20 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds
David Johnson \u2013 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4\/6 3PT
Will Magnay \u2013 17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks
Dakota Mathias \u2013 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Nick Marshall \u2013 13 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists<\/p>\n