JackJumpers Take Charge to Advance to Playoffs

Friday, February 10, 2023

Thursday night's Seeding Qualifier was always going to largely come down to which team could control the tempo and it was every bit a Tasmania JackJumpers style of game as they advanced to the playoffs beating the Cairns Taipans 87-79.

Thursday night's Seeding Qualifier was always going to largely come down to which team could control the tempo and it was every bit a Tasmania JackJumpers style of game as they advanced to the playoffs beating the Cairns Taipans 87-79.

The Taipans finished the NBL23 regular season third and the JackJumpers fourth setting up the Seeding Qualifier at Cairns Convention Centre with the winner to advance to the playoffs and the loser to get a second chance by hosting the Perth Wildcats.

With the Taipans having played at the second fastest pace all season and the JackJumpers the second slowest, controlling the tempo was always going to be pivotal, and Tasmania was able to.

The JackJumpers put together an outstanding defensive performance and were then efficient offensively to end up winning by eight points away from home to book in a playoff appearance against the New Zealand Breakers starting in Auckland on Sunday.

The JackJumpers went on a 13-2 run to close the first quarter and then just when the Taipans had the momentum in the third, they regained it by finishing the period with another 13-2 run including 11 straight points.

From there Tasmania was able to maintain control on the back of shooting 48 per cent from the floor, hitting 10/21 from three-point land and 13/16 at the foul line. In comparison, Cairns went 41 per cent from the field, 5/22 from long-range and 14/21 at the free-throw line.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MILTON DOYLE ICES THE GAME ??<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBLFinals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBLFinals</a> Live & free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies ? <a href="https://t.co/YUykIKTm7F">pic.twitter.com/YUykIKTm7F</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1623644725344632834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Milton Doyle again was the star for the JackJumpers finishing with 25 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals while hitting 5/10 from three-point range.

Isaac White stepped up in the absence of point guard Josh Magette for 18 points, four rebounds and two steals on 7/10 shooting with Jack McVeigh contributing 13 points and nine rebounds, and Rashard Kelly 11 points, 12 boards and four assists.

JackJumpers coach Scott Roth couldn’t hide the pride he felt in his group to be part of the final four for a second straight season.

"Our guys are relentless. They bent but they didn’t break and it's just the next man up," Roth said.

"I'm incredibly proud and very humbled by this because there's a lot of teams who are trying to do what we've done the last two years, and haven’t been able to get across the line over the course of their franchise's history.

"For our group to do it two years back-to-back is just a great credit to the organisation, my coaching staff and these players."

The Taipans have a second chance still to reach the playoffs and will play host to the Perth Wildcats back in front of the Orange Army on Sunday with the winner to take on the Sydney Kings.

Tahjere McCall top-scored for Cairns with 24 points to go with six rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Shannon Scott added 17 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals, DJ Hogg 13 points, eight boards and four assists, and Sam Waardenburg 12 points and five rebounds.

Taipans coach Adam Forde just felt his team played a little tight and hopes they can learn from the experience for Sunday.

"We played tight. We missed some great looks, I thought, we missed some bunnies at the rim and the more we missed the good looks the more we tightened up and shied away from continuing to take them," Forde said.

"For a lot of these guys this is their first post-season type game and their understanding the nature of that beast. Now we have a sudden death game on Sunday we need to prepare for and we can't be too down on ourselves because we've got two days to prepare for Perth up here."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">And-1?? for the All-NBL Second Teamer DJ Hogg ?<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBLFinals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBLFinals</a> Live & free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies ? <a href="https://t.co/xv1mbg8eK7">pic.twitter.com/xv1mbg8eK7</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1623634924006952960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Fresh off being named to the All-NBL First Team, Milton Doyle opened the game with a three-pointer for Tasmania and it was a good start for the JackJumpers until six straight points for Cairns from Shannon Scott, DJ Hogg and Tahjere McCall to put them up 10-7.

Doyle responded with an and-one and then the JackJumpers closed the opening quarter with a 13-2 run that included five quick Isaac White points and a triple from Jack McVeigh to see them lead 25-16 by the end of one.

The JackJumpers shot 53 per cent for the first quarter to 29 from the Taipans and things were looking dangerous early in the second term for the home team when Tasmania opened up a 13-point lead after another three from McVeigh and bucket to White.

Scott and McCall did their best to try and will Cairns back into the contest and they did combine for 22 first half points, but Tasmania still led 46-37 by half-time with 12 points to Doyle leading the way.

The Taipans picked up their defensive intensity and everything flowed from that in the third quarter. Waardenburg scored their first six points and then when they went on a 7-0 run, they grabbed the lead for the first time since early in the game.

The JackJumpers did well to steady the ship with the next nine points and it forced Adam Forde into a timeout with two minutes in the third quarter to go with Tasmania back up eight.

Sam McDaniel was left all alone rolling to the hoop to make it a 11-0 Tasmania run and the JackJumpers remained leading by 10 at three quarter-time with the job ahead of the Snakes.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">All-NBL First Teamer Milton Doyle is a bad, bad man ?<br><br>He already has 20 points with a quarter to go ?<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBLFinals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBLFinals</a> Live & free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies ? <a href="https://t.co/dhr2P2NdpV">pic.twitter.com/dhr2P2NdpV</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1623638414544506880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Tasmania opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer to Sean Macdonald and from there anytime the Taipans threatened a run, the JackJumpers responded.

White, McVeigh and Doyle all landed long bombs with the JackJumpers winning by eight to advance to the playoffs against the Breakers while the Taipans prepare to host the Wildcats.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL FINALS – SEEDING QUALIFIER

CAIRNS TAIPANS 79 (McCall 24, Scott 17, Hogg 13)

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 87 (Doyle 25, White 18, McVeigh 13)

BOX SCORE