THE SECOND preseason clash ahead of the 2025/26 National Basketball League (NBL) season saw the new-look SEM Phoenix defeat a slightly undermanned Cairns Taipans outfit when the two sides went head to head on Tuesday night.

Following the first preseason match which saw the Sydney Kings defeat the Tasmania JackJumpers, the action continued at State Basketball Centre on Tuesday night, with two of the most changed rosters in the competition locking horns.

The Taipans were missing their prized recruit in Jack McVeigh, who was still fresh off winning the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup with the Australian Boomers, which was also the case for teammate Reyne Smith, with the sharpshooter still yet to debut in the NBL. Cairns recruit Admiral Schofield had also not touched down in town for the clash.

For the Phoenix, they were missing their own import in John Brown III, as well as familiar faces Angus Glover and Owen Foxwell, so both teams were far from full strength, although it was a great opportunity to get a first glimpse of the teams.

In a positive step forward for the Phoenix, it was the team’s new faces that caught the eye, as South East Melbourne cruised home to a comfortable 22-point win in what is an encouraging sign ahead of the upcoming season.

South East Melbourne Phoenix (108) def. Cairns Taipans (86)

The Phoenix were demonstrating positive signs in the first quarter, with South East Melbourne looking potent on the offensive end by dropping 29 points in the first 10 minutes. There were plenty of contributors as South East Melbourne took a 10-point buffer into the first change, showing more avenues to scoring than the opposition.

The second quarter saw the Phoenix grow their lead even further in a dominant display, looking far too strong on the offensive end, and the Taipans lacked the scoring tools to match this level of output. The lead grew to 19 points by the main break, and it was all one way traffic as the Phoenix showcased an exciting style of play.

The Phoenix were leading by as much as 26 points in the third quarter and continued to flex their muscles with a plethora of scoring options. However, the Taipans were able to fight back in the closing minutes of the frame, knocking down a flurry of triples to keep the margin at 18 points at three-quarter time in an encouraging purple patch.

The Phoenix closed out the game with the same level of offensive production as they had shown throughout the remainder of the match, not taking the foot off the accelerator. In the end, they cruised home to a big win and gave fans plenty to be excited about in the way they played and the performance of their recruits.

Import point guard Hunter Maldonado eased any fears about a lack of playmaking on the Phoenix’s roster this season, dropping 11 points, five rebounds and five assists, overcoming an inaccurate shooting night to produce a balanced performance.

DJ Mitchell made his NBL return in emphatic fashion, nailing five triples along to finish with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Next Star Malique Lewis dropped 11 points and eight rebounds in an encouraging performance ahead of his second campaign.

Alex Higgins-Titsha was impressive after being upgraded to a full roster spot for the upcoming campaign, pouring in 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while NBL1 star Kody Stattmann had 15 points and three boards himself.

The NBL preseason continues tonight when the JackJumpers and Kings clash once again.