McVeigh’s return nets Cairns an upset win over Tasmania
Ethan James |
Cairns have snapped a seven-game losing streak with an upset six-point win over Tasmania, with big-money signing Jack McVeigh inflicting pain on his former club.
Andrew Andrews was top of the charts with 27 points for the Taipans in the 75-69 result on Saturday night in Launceston, followed by teammate McVeigh with 23.
It was McVeigh’s first game in Tasmania after playing a crucial role in the JackJumpers’ maiden NBL championship success two seasons ago.
He nailed several crucial shots when the game was on the line in the final quarter, and also finished with six rebounds and two assists.
Tasmania, who have now lost back-to-back games, trailed for the majority but levelled at 58-58 with less than six minutes left on the clock.
But the Taipans (3-8) pulled away for a heartening victory, after coach Adam Forde implored his team to show some fight following a heavy loss to Brisbane.
“We’ve been asking for grit and consistency, and the boys showed it,” Forde said.
“Now the challenge is (to make sure) we don’t put our feet up … and lose by 30 next game.”
Cairns did it without rising talent Reyne Smith, who left the court with a foot injury in the second quarter and will undergo further assessments.
Forde said he would seek further explanations about some foul calls, as well as an out-of-bounds challenge his side lost.
“If you think it’s a blocking foul, call it, and then we get a chance to challenge. The problem is when you just call it as a tech,” he said.
“I got a tech for waving my hands, which I was later told was too close to his face, the guy was eight feet away from me.
“There are some things we are going to ask for a ‘please explain’ on.”
Tasmania shot just four of 25 three-point attempts and were 38 per cent from the field, but managed to win the rebound count 48-34 after some woes in recent games.
They have won just two of nine games at the Silverdome, their second home.
“It’s groundhog day,” JackJumpers coach Scott Roth said.
“It’s unfortunate, we solved some other problems with the rebounding and our aggressiveness, but we just couldn’t score a basket.”
Cairns had the running for most of the first quarter, with McVeigh getting two three-pointers early.
But the JackJumpers came to life with a run of nine unanswered points to reduce the visitors’ advantage to 18-15 at the end of the opening quarter.
The Taipans went scoreless for five minutes either side of the first break, but rebounded for a 40-31 halftime lead – Tasmania’s lowest first-half score of the season.
Tempers flared briefly between Tasmania’s Majok Deng and McVeigh in the third quarter, before Cairns took a 54-49 buffer into the last break.
AAP
