Wildcats rebound to clobber Snakes

Wildcats rebound to clobber Snakes

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

The Perth Wildcats shook off a couple of big NBL losses to thrash the Taipans in Cairns by 32 points.

The Perth Wildcats might have been down two imports but delivered a fourth huge loss on the Cairns Taipans eight games into this NBL season with a 110-78 Ignite Cup road win.

The Wildcats dominated right from the start to hand the Taipans a fourth 30-point loss in eight matches this season with the biggest resistance coming post-match when Cairns forward Admiral Schofield almost came to blows with a host of 'Cats players when shaking hands.

The 'Cats arrived at the Cairns Convention Centre after losing at home to the Brisbane Bullets and away to the Sydney Kings by a combined 39 points.

Along the way, they parted ways with import guard Mason Jones and lost forward Dylan Windler to an ankle injury, but were a team on a mission.

The Taipans were also missing first-choice front court Jack McVeigh and Sam Waardenburg with Perth racing to a 27-13 lead in the first quarter having gone on a 20-6 run.

The Wildcats were still well in control leading 60-42 by half-time on 64 per cent shooting along with 7/11 from downtown with the Taipans struggling at 5/20 from deep which made up a large chunk of their 36 attempts.

Cairns did make a brief flurry scoring 10 straight points in the third term, but the Wildcats responded with their own 17-2 run to close the quarter on the way to the destructive 32-point win.

Perth are now 4-3 with Lual-Acuil Jr top-scoring with 24 points with three rebounds, three blocks and two assists.

Lone remaining import Kristian Doolittle stepped up for 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists with Elijah Pepper hitting 3/4 from deep for 18 points with four assists.

Jaron Rillie earned his first start and had 10 points and six rebounds with Ben Henshall adding 10 points along with Next Star Noa Kouakou-Heugue having his best NBL night with eight points and four rebounds.

Cairns (2-6) have now lost five straight and had four losses by at least 31 points with Schofield top-scoring with 16 points with 2/9 three-point shooting.

Fellow import Andrew Andrews went just 1/4 from downtown too for 10 points and four assists while Marcus Lee only managed 16 minutes before fouling out.

Reyne Smith finished with 13 points and five assists while Kody Stattmann had 10 points and five rebounds, and Kyle Adnam 10 points, three assists and three boards in his 250th NBL appearance.

It was a flying start on the road for the Wildcats who came straight to Cairns following Sunday's 22-point loss to Sydney and were leading 17-7 inside the opening six minutes.

The 'Cats went on another 10-0 run in that first quarter and Kristian Doolittle had been aggressive with 11 points himself by quarter-time with his team in control leading 30-22.

Elijah Pepper got going in the second quarter for Perth with nine points including two of his team's seven three-pointers for the half with the visitors in control at the break leading 60-42 with Doolittle and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr combining for 27 points.

The Wildcats hit six quick points from David Okwera and Ben Henshall to open the second half and were soon out to a 24-point lead before the Taipans did show some signs of life.

Cairns scored the next 10 points including triples to Kyrin Galloway and Admiral Schofield, and when Reyne Smith added six quick points soon after, the home team had closed the gap to 11.

It wouldn’t last with the Wildcats scoring the next 10 points with six of those from Pepper, and then he made his third three-pointer with his team up 26 by three quarter-time.

The lead for Perth got out beyond 30 as well in the fourth quarter and that's where it stayed with the 'Cats going on to win by 32.

The Taipans remain at home but face the daunting task of hosting the undefeated Melbourne United on Friday with the Wildcats returning home to play the Illawarra Hawks on Saturday night.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26 – IGNITE CUP BY DISNEY+

CAIRNS TAIPANS 78 (Schofield 16, Smith 13, Andrews 10, Adnam 10, Stattmann 10)

PERTH WILDCATS 110 (Lual-Acuil Jr 24, Pepper 18, Doolittle 18)

BOX SCORE