Double A energises Cairns in tough 'Gong road win

• Taipans overpower Hawks 93–76 after a decisive 29–14 second quarter surge.
• Andrews erupts for 27 as Cairns win despite missing McVeigh and Waardenburg.
• Tatum laments poor effort, rebounding and energy in Hawks’ eighth loss.
• Galloway, Schofield, Lee fuel Cairns’ dominance on the glass and interior.

The FIBA Break came at the right time for the Cairns Taipans, head coach Adam Forde said after the visitors dominated defending champion Illawarra Hawks for large stretches of their NBL26 Round 11 clash in Wollongong on Saturday, December 6, 2025.

The Taipans were simply too much for the Hawks, who struggled at times to get into their offense, securing their fourth win of the season 93-76 on the back of Andrew Andrews 27 points, five rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes. The Hawks have stumbled to 5-10 and in eighth.

"Proud of the guys," Forde said.

"The FIBA break gave us time to put in some new things, refresh some heavy legs, and re-evaluate areas we wanted to emphasise.

"It’s good to come into Illawarra, which is always a tough venue and matchup, and get the win.

"There was a shaky stretch, but it was a group effort. The little things made the difference.

"The offensive rebound that KG (Kyrin Galloway) got with the put-back two started with Stattmann getting the tap to initiate the loose ball.

"It’s all the little things that don’t show up on the stat sheet.

"When you’ve got guys out, you need that type of adversity to force you to play every possession.

"You can’t fall in love with giving certain guys the ball and spectating. Everyone had to contribute, and they did it naturally.

"I can go back on the tape and find a dozen more examples of little things people did — like Mag’s (Mawot Mag) verticality at the end of the half. I’m happy."

The Taipans were without $1M man Jack McVeigh who missed the game because of the birth of his first child, as well as Sam Waardenburg, who is yet to play this season. Despite the outs, Forde's message to his ball club was simple.

"Give it a crack," he said.

"They’re professionals. With adversity comes opportunity. You can watch from the sideline and let someone else take the opportunity, or you can try to grasp it yourself.

"When guys come back, we want to make sure we weren’t just waiting for Waardenburg to return to get wins. Even with him out, we wanted to level up in all areas.

"We’re behind in the win-loss column, but we don’t need to look at that. One game at a time is relevant for us.

"They did that tonight. Now we rest, fly back, get on court, and prepare for the next game at home against the JackJumpers."

The Hawks trailed by as many as 23 and when they did mount a comeback, they gave up crucial offensive rebounds. During a time-out head coach Justin Tatum implored his team to stay poised and "win the last three minutes" of the third quarter even though "we're down a 1000".

They didn't.

"It’s a tough hurt for the group and for myself," Tatum said.

"Unfortunately, we didn’t play and come out with the fire I expected us to. I have to find a way to do better to get them adjusted.

"I take my hat off to Fordey and his group being undermanned and having the tough season they’ve had so far, to come out here and play with that energy."

At times the Hawks seemed stuck in the mud and the only bright spot was the energy of Dan Grida, who scored a career high 18 points on 6-from-7 from the field.

"The guys have to find a way to execute better and come out with more energy," Tatum admitted.

"If I need to do better getting them ready, then that’s on me. But they’re professional basketball players — they know the effort levels they need to bring.

"We didn’t match their energy or effort. Cairns had nothing to lose and played free and hard. We didn’t match any of it.

"Multiple offensive rebounds, breakdowns defensively, allowing easy looks, not contesting shots — a lot contributed to that loss.

"We didn’t play at the level we anticipated.

"Rebounding is effort. You can’t do a thousand drills — guys have to want to pursue the ball.

"Some aren’t pursuing it, and other teams are out-hustling us. The word is out that Illawarra does not box out.

"Most teams are aggressive because of that. In all our losses, we’ve been out-numbered or outworked on the offensive glass."

Key Details

• Result: Cairns Taipans 93 def. Illawarra Hawks 76
• When: Friday, 6th December 2025
• Where: WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Andrew Andrews (Cairns Taipans) starred with 27 points, five rebounds, six assists and one steal in 35 minutes.
• JaVale McGee (Illawarra Hawks) scored 17 points and had 11 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 25 minutes.

What Happened

The Taipans established early control and never relinquished their advantage, leading for 34 minutes of the contest compared to the Hawks' brief three minutes and 50 seconds. Cairns opened with a balanced 20-20 first quarter before exploding for 29 points in the second period to take a commanding 49-34 halftime lead that would prove insurmountable for the home side.

Andrew Andrews was simply outstanding throughout, shooting an efficient 10-from-20 from the field including a superb 5-from-10 from downtown. His 50% shooting accuracy was complemented by Admiral Schofield's dominant double-double performance of 17 points and 11 boards, with Schofield shooting 5-from-9 from the field. The Taipans' balanced offensive attack featured four players in double digits, showcasing a full team effort that overwhelmed the Hawks' defence.

Illawarra's struggles were epitomised by their poor shooting performance, managing just 37.5% from the field compared to Cairns' solid 43.7%. The Hawks were particularly underwhelming from beyond the arc, connecting on just 5-from-22 attempts for a dismal 22.7% three-point percentage. Despite JaVale McGee's solid interior presence with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Daniel Grida's impressive bench contribution of 18 points on outstanding 6-from-7 shooting, the Hawks couldn't match the visitors' offensive firepower.

The rebounding battle proved crucial as the Taipans cleaned the glass more effectively, out-rebounding the Hawks 51-41. Cairns dominated the offensive boards 16-12, creating additional scoring opportunities that helped extend their advantage. Kyrin Galloway was instrumental in this area with 14 rebounds to complement his 16 points, while Marcus Lee provided valuable energy off the bench with 12 points and solid rim protection.

Defensively, both teams managed just three blocks each, but the Taipans' ability to force turnovers and convert them into easy baskets made the difference. With 14 lead changes early in the contest, Cairns eventually pulled away thanks to their superior shooting accuracy and balanced scoring attack, building their largest lead to 23 points and maintaining control throughout the final two quarters.