Cairns Taipans v Townsville Crocodiles

Where and When: Saturday 23 January, Cairns Convention Centre, 7.30pm (local) 
 
Past Five Games:
Taipans: LLLLW
Crocs: WLWWW

Past Three Head-to Head:
Townsville Crocs 73-64 Cairns Taipans, Round 11, 2009
Cairns Taipans 70-85 Townsville Crocs, Round 8, 2009
Townsville Crocs 123-92 Cairns Taipans, Round 20, 2009

Season Series:
Cairns Taipans 0-2 Townsville Crocs

Current Standings:
Taipans 9-15 (8th), Crocs 13-9 (2nd)

Cairns' playoffs dream might be over but it would love nothing more than to throw a spanner in the works of state rival Townsville's post-season plans in this Queensland derby.

But in order to do so, the bottom-placed Taipans are going to have to overcome a diabolical streak which has seen them lose four matches in a row by an average of 19 points.

And when one considers the kind of form second-placed Townsville has been in recently, winning five of its last six matches, then the enormity of Cairns' task becomes apparent.

In fact Cairns not only has its current formline to grapple with but it also has to contend with recent history if it aims to cause an upset on Saturday night.

The Crocs have won their last five matches against the Taipans and haven't lost to them since February 2008.

And it comes as no surprise that Corey Williams has been Cairns' most lethal antagonist in its two meetings with Townsville this season.

Williams is the NBL's leading point-scorer in this campaign (435 at 19.8 per game), third for assists (89 at 4.0), fifth for steals (29 at 1.3) and is on track for his first MVP.

Homicide has scored 43 of those points against the Taipans this season while the star import has also recorded a total of eight rebounds, seven assists and six steals in those two outings.

It would be fair to say that a lot of Aaron Fearne's preparations will be centred on the brilliant American.

But Williams aside, the fact that Townsville's last three wins have come against fellow top-four teams Wollongong, Gold Coast and Perth underscores how well Trevor Gleeson's men are travelling at present.

It would take an enormous effort for Cairns to beat the Crocs and Townsville, on track for a top-two finish, has far too much to play for to let this match slip.

Sportal Tip: Crocs by 15