Cotton goes for 53 as Sixers hold out Snakes

Five-time MVP Bryce Cotton produced another brilliant performance to set a franchise record with 53 points but the Adelaide 36ers needed all of it to overcome a gritty yet undermanned Cairns Taipans to win 91-86.

Cotton was the difference at the Cairns Convention Centre on Saturday, peeling off his second career half-century and the first in Sixers history.

In just his sixth game as a 36ers player, Cotton broke the existing mark of 48 points for the franchise set by the late Darryl Pearce against Newcastle in 1988 when it was a 48-minute game.

Cotton went on to score 11 points in the first quarter, 12 in the second, eight in the third and a dazzling 22 in the fourth on the way to the 53 points with 16/29 shooting from the field, 5/13 from downtown and 16/16 at the foul line.

Despite Cotton's remarkable display, Adelaide could never shake off Cairns who put in a brave showing in the absence of their first-choice front court of Sam Waardenburg and Jack McVeigh.

The Taipans still got it back to within three late in the piece but Cotton was able to ice the win for the 36ers at the foul line to get over the 50-point barrier.

Flynn Cameron's 14 points was the next best haul for the second-placed Sixers (5-1) who also had eight rebounds but the struggles of co-captain DJ Vasiljevic continued with just three points on 1/7 shooting.

It was a brave showing at home from the Snakes with Andrew Andrews finishing with 23 points and seven assists before fouling out in the final minute with two quick technicals when he thought he was fouled.

Admiral Schofield landed 5/12 from downtown for Cairns on his way to 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists with Reyne Smith contributing 17 points and two assists, and Marcus Lee 14 points and six rebounds.

Cotton caught fire in the first quarter, which ended on a buzzer-beating tip-jam from Cairns big man Lee to reduce Adelaide's lead to 19-17.

The Snakes' defence stuck like glue to every 36er bar Cotton, whose 23-point half gave the visitors a 44-36 half-time cushion.

Cotton's left-handed drive early in the third period boosted Adelaide's advantage to 14 points, before Cairns diligently ate into the deficit.

They sliced it to 64-57 at three quarter-time, then to a single point with just over a minute left after Schofield buried his fifth triple.

Smith nailed back-to-back three-point bombs in the dying stages for the Taipans, who lost Andrews late when he copped his second technical foul for dissent.

But in the end the home side simply had no answer for Cotton's brilliance.

The Taipans remain at home to host an Ignite Cup match up with the Perth Wildcats on Wednesday night while the 36ers are on the road once more to take on Melbourne United next Sunday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26

CAIRNS TAIPANS 86 (Andrews 23, Schofield 18, Smith 17)

ADELAIDE 36ERS 91 (Cotton 53, Cameron 14, Humphries 8)

BOX SCORE