The CQUniversity Cairns Taipans opened the 2015 pre-season with a tense 101-91 win over the Wollongong Hawks in Cairns on Friday night.

The pre-season encounter added another fiery chapter in the two sides' history, four players receiving either technical or unsportsmanlike fouls. Tyson Demos was marched from the court in the game’s final stages.

The Taipans welcomed recruits Mark Worthington and Markel Starks, but it was some Snakes regulars that led the charge.

Cameron Tragardh top-scored for the game with 25, while Cameron Gliddon had 19 from seven of eight shooting.

"Trig (Tragardh) did his thing, Alex (Loughton) did his. We had five guys in double digits, Damo (Damon Heuir) with eight, Wortho (Worthington) with seven. So when we get contributions like that it’s pretty good," said Taipans coach Aaron Fearne.

For the vistors, Kevin Lisch proved how valuable a recruit he’ll be with twenty points, Tim Coenraad (18) was the next best for an Illawarra side without Kirk Penny.

In a surprise move Shaun Bruce started the game at point guard, while Markel Starks scored four points in his first game, fouling out in less than eleven minutes.

“He needs to show better discipline and get an understanding of our league of what he can and can’t do. But when he was out there I thought he was really good,” said Coach Fearne on Starks’ debut.

The Taipans’ other debutant, Mark Worthington, got his career in orange off to the ideal start, scoring the first points of the game.

The sides exchanged baskets in the opening term as neither threatened to break away, the Taipans managing to secure a four-point lead at the change.

Cairns returned better from the break, opening up a ten-point buffer before Coenraad stemmed the flow.

Tragardh did his bit to maintain the lead with twelve first-half points, but he couldn’t prevent Illawarra from finding twenty-two points in a five-minute burst.

Cody Ellis nailed a three to draw the margin to three, and when the big man hit another treble on the half-time buzzer, the Hawks had wrestled the game back, to lead by five.

Gliddon struck the first blow of the third term with a three, and the action only intensified from there.

The Taipans skipper got wrapped up in a tussle with Hawks captain Oscar Foreman, with both players receiving technical fouls.

Gliddon’s second three of the term happened in the quarter’s finals second, and was followed by yet another mid-court battle.

Demos and Tragardh both were whistled for unsportsmanlike penalties, as the Snakes took a twelve-point advantage into the final term.

“I thought there was a little bit of inconsistency there which obviously got our crowd fired up and the players fired up, but you know we are looking to improve next game,” said Fearne of the controversial third term, that left both coaches visibly frustrated.

Coenraad and Lisch continued to toil away in the final term, but Cairns wouldn’t be denied in their first game of the pre-season, the crowd finding another voice as Bruce hit a final three to ice the ten-point win.

While Fearne was pleased with his sides first hit-out of the year, he knows they have plenty of improvement left.

“We fouled too much, in patches we were really good defensively then in patches we were soft, but that’s to be expected at this stage,” he said.

The sides return to Cairns Basketball this Sunday for a 1.00pm rematch. Tickets available at the gate from 11.00am.

Cairns Taipans 101 (Tragardh 25, Gliddon 19, Loughton 13)

Illawarra Hawks 91 (Lisch 20, Coenraad 18, Ellis 16)

When is your next Klan meeting, greybuoy??

greybuoy - were you at the game or just looking at stats mate?

I wasn't being a smartass mate just wanted to know if your comments on Starks were from actually seeing him or not?

The comments were Craig not Starks?

Looks like Torrey had a pretty decent game today
http://www.fibalivestats.com/matches/51197/13/82/00/431xiBE4r3Dg/?utm_content=buffer3df60&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

With all due respect Weigh is not comparable to Penney.

Similar heights?