Another home loss for the Snakes
THE Perth Wildcats continued the Taipans' misery in Cairns, winning 85-66 on Saturday night in their first meeting this season.
THE Wildcats had an answer for everything the Snakes threw at them, leading comfortably from the start and at every turn.
Kevin Lisch showed all his class to lead the visitors with 26 points, while big Matthew Knight (13 points, seven rebounds) was excellent on return from injury."He's (Lisch) the MVP and he gets better and better. And for Cairns fans to see him in full flight was pretty special,"Perth coach Rob Beveridge said.
Lisch and Taipan Jamar Wilson (17 points, 7 rebounds), a close MVP runner-up to Lisch last season, were the standouts for their teams but Lisch had more help and that proved the difference.
Knight looked the fool when his wide-open dunk popped out in the first quarter, but he put that behind him to finish as one of the visitors' best contributors.
Jesse Wagstaff (15 points, 5 rebounds) and Shawn Redhage (10 points, 7 rebounds) along with 24 Taipans turnovers made sure there were plenty of second chances for their offence.
"A lot of people talk about the Cedric Jacksons and Jonny Flynns and he wasn't even included in that group. But you saw him hit a no-look one handed hook shot tonight - that's what he can do."
Knight looked the fool when his wide-open dunk popped out in the first quarter, but he put that behind him to finish as one of the visitors' best contributors.
Jesse Wagstaff (15 points, 5 rebounds) and Shawn Redhage (10 points, 7 rebounds) along with 24 Taipans turnovers made sure there were plenty of second chances for their offence.
Even the Taipans’ good work was undone in the second quarter when a Shane Edwards rejection on Lisch, who was in the paint, resulted in a Cameron Tovey three.
That and a Lisch bucket on the final play of the second quarter gave Perth a 49-37 half-time lead.
Earlier in the quarter a bright start from the Taipans, accentuated by a razor sharp assist from Wilson and a long three from Loughton, got the big crowd involved.
But as they did the entire night Perth shunted the comeback, Greg Hire nailing a three from the corner.
"We've struggled up here in the last few years, but we did well to get on top of that crowd because when they get the emotions going it's hard to play in, Beveridge said.
"It was solid but nothing too special for our standard, but obviously a 20-point win on the road in Cairns is outstanding."
Taipans coach Aaron Fearne labelled it, along with last week's loss to New Zealand as some of the club's worst basketball in "few years".
"They kicked our butt from start to finish," he said.
"It's poise and composure (that is lacking) and turnovers, way too many turnovers, giving them too many looks."
Both teams’ field goal percentages crept close to 50 per cent by the main break, but it was a different story in the first 10 minutes.
It took more than five minutes for the Snakes to score their first points and they made just four buckets for the term, and only some wayward shooting from Perth kept the home team in the game.
The second and third quarters were fast-paced, high-scoring affairs, but once the Wildcats had the finish line in sight they shut the Taipans down and cruised to victory.
Perth Wildcats 85 (Lisch 26, Wagstaff 15, Knight 13)
Cairns Taipans 66 (Wilson 17)
At Cairns Convention Centre
Crowd: 4013
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Shot down: Taipan Jamar Wilson had 17 points, but the Snakes lost again on their home court.
