Cairns 86 - 84 New Zealand

The Cairns Taipans overcame an early nine-point deficit to defeat the New Zealand Breakers 86-84 in a tightly contested finish. After trailing 25-16 at the end of the opening quarter, Cairns gradually chipped away at the margin behind steady ball movement and timely perimeter shooting. The Taipans outscored New Zealand 26-22 in the fourth quarter, taking the lead on a run fueled by Reyne Smith's perimeter shooting and Keanu Pinder's interior presence. Pinder's layup with 39 seconds remaining extended Cairns' lead to four, and despite late pressure and a turnover that gave New Zealand a final possession, Carlin Davison missed a driving layup in the closing seconds to seal the win for the hosts.

Jack McVeigh and Jaylin Galloway provided the offensive engine for Cairns, each tallying 18 points. McVeigh added seven assists without committing a turnover, shooting 6-of-13 from the floor, while Galloway was efficient on 7-of-11 shooting to go with six assists. Pinder chipped in 15 points, five rebounds, and a block, including five points in the fourth quarter. For New Zealand, Sam Mennenga paced the offense with 22 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, knocking down four three-pointers, while Charles Bediako anchored the interior with a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double on 5-of-6 shooting.

Both teams finished virtually level in field goal percentage, with Cairns shooting 43.7% (31-of-71) to New Zealand's 43.5% (30-of-69). The Breakers were more accurate from beyond the arc at 48.0% (12-of-25) compared to Cairns' 40.0% (14-of-35), but Cairns capitalized on 10 additional attempts from long range. Both teams struggled at the free-throw line, where Cairns converted just 55.6% (10-of-18) and New Zealand shot 52.2% (12-of-23), highlighted by Mennenga's 4-of-10 return from the stripe. While New Zealand held a slight 46-42 edge on the glass, both squads protected possession well, each finishing with only nine turnovers.

Key Stats

• Jack McVeigh (Cairns): 18 PTS, 3 REB, 7 AST, 0 TO | 6/13 FG (46.2%), 3/7 3PT, 3/4 FT | team-high +8 in 29 minutes
• Jaylin Galloway (Cairns): 18 PTS, 3 REB, 6 AST | 7/11 FG (63.6%), 3/5 3PT, 1/2 FT | 75.8% TS, game-high +11
• Sam Mennenga (New Zealand): 22 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST | 7/18 FG (38.9%), 4/8 3PT, 4/10 FT | 49.1% TS
• Charles Bediako (New Zealand): 15 PTS, 10 REB, 2 BLK | 5/6 FG (83.3%), 5/9 FT | 75.3% TS
• Free-throw struggles: Cairns converted 10 of 18 (55.6%) from the stripe, while New Zealand left 11 points at the line, going 12 of 23 (52.2%)