Breakers drop away game to Cairns Taipans
Updated: 4 hours ago
The Breakers have had an away loss to the Tapains in their latest NBL game in Cairns 86 to 84 for a four-win, five-loss season record.
The visitors led throughout most of the game and looked to have Cairns under their spell, but the home side found their range from late in the game and held on in a desperate scramble under their own basket in the dying seconds.
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The Breakers started strongly with Parker Jackson-Cartwright back in the lineup, ending the first quarter up 25-16 on the back of Nelson Weidemann’s seven points and the team going three of five from long range.
The Breakers were playing an effective inside outside game, with Charles Bediako busy in the paint with six early points as Sam Mennenga had a rare quiet first ten minutes, albeit matching Jackson-Cartwright with three assists.
The second quarter was more of the same, the Breakers in control but could never quite break the Taipans or extend the lead into significant double figures as the lead shrunk to seven at the main break. Mennenga had 15 second quarter points to go with five rebounds and those three first quarter assists.
The Breakers then lost offensive rhythm in the second half as Cairns found theirs. Jaylin Galloway was a significant presence on his return from injury; the forward ended with 18 points on three of five shooting from deep in his return to NBL27.
Cairns extended in the final quarter and looked to have the game under control inside the final two minutes, but two missed Jaylen Brown free throws, a quick Jackson-Cartwright basket and a Carlin Davison steal led to a mad scramble in the Cairns paint.
Davison was close with a contested layup and Mojave King looked to be fouled in gaining the rebound, but there was no whistle and a final off-balance attempt from the Breakers came up short on the buzzer.
The Breakers are now 4-5 having just completed five straight away games and seven in total through their opening nine games. They will be ruing going 12/23 from the foul line on a night when they shot an impressive 12/25 from the outside.
Mennenga finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and four assists with Charles Bediako perhaps having his biggest impact of the season with 15 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.
Jackson-Cartwright had 14 points, nine assists and six rebounds on return with Carlin Davison contributing eight points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Reuben Te Rangi three points, two rebounds and two steals in NBL game 400.
