What a game! NO, really what a game!

Those who were at the Cairns Convention Centre last Saturday night will be echoing my enthusiasm.

A win over the arch enemy, the Townsville Crocs, is a great night out, and made even better considering the Snakes were without Ian Crosswhite and Alex Loughton, two of our biggest and most experienced players.

From the get go the Taipans skipped out to a led in the first quarter led by Dusty Rychart posting 8 out of the Snakes 19 pionts. Jamar Wilson showed he is a live wire on the court chasing down the seemingly impossible and spurring his team on with his never say die aggression.

Taking a 4 piont lead into the second quarter the Taipans let their guard down giving up some easy buckets to a Crocs team ready to go on a scoring rampage.

The efforts of veteran Arron Grabau and Brad Hill at the defensive end kept the scoring in check and the two teams went into the half time break all tied up at 40 points apiece.

With a near sell out crowd of over 4800 urging their team on, the Taipans completely dominated the third quarter amassing 26 points with Jamar Wilson compiling 10 and Brad Hill 6, and restricting their rivals to a poultry 13 pionts.

The Taipans took a 13 point lead into the final stanza and the game seemed all but over. That is until the Crocs staged a comeback with just a few minutes left going on a 9-2 run to tie the game up with 32 seconds left on the clock and all the momentum.

In the next two minutes neither team could score from the field or the charity strip until Wilson scored four pionts and Dusty posted four as well to put the game beyond the grasp of the Crocs.

The Taipans running out 5 piont winners, 81-76.

Major scorers were Wilson 23, Hill 15, Dowdell 14, Rychart 16.

Hill Amd Rychart both finished with a double double and a huge plus for the Taipans was their 100% strike rate from the charity stripe.

Other winners in Round 1 were the Breakers (two wins), Perth and Melbourne.

The Snakes have an on the road double header this weekend taking on the Crocs again, this time in Townsville, and the the Gold Coast Blaze on Sunday.

Let's hope that the basketball Gods are smiling on our team who will still be without their tall timber.

Other games in Round 2 are:

Perth at home to the Tigers (Perth by 9)
Sydney at home to New Zealand - a game that will see the Breakers go 3 from 3
The Hawks will be too strong for the 36ers.

Catch you on the rebound.

Double Oh 

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