Cairns have smashed Illawarra 87-66 at home in a shooting masterclass, ending the Hawks' four-game NBL winning streak.
The Taipans put in their best first quarter of the season on Saturday night to blow the Hawks away early, point guard Dayshon 'Scoochie' Smith proving particularly deadly.
The New York native hit three three-pointers to become the first Taipan to get double digits in a first quarter this year, while also amassing five assists in a stunning stanza.
All up, Cairns hit 12/16 from the floor in the opening 10 minutes to reach 32 points by the change of ends, their fastest start since the 2014/15 season.
Guard Mitch McCarron said his side's superb shooting wasn't an accident.
"We didn't just go out there and shoot well. We've worked on things all week, and we had to scout them really well," McCarron told AAP.
"It just felt like we were playing naturally, and didn't try to force it."
Illawarra import Demetrius Conger was the visitors' best, keeping his team within shooting distance for much of the first half. The forward finished with 17 points.
But the star turn from Smith (19 points), aided by captain Cam Gliddon (16 points) and veteran Alex Loughton (17 points), kept the Taipans rolling throughout the second half to get them home comfortably.
Cairns Coach Aaron Fearne said the 23-year-old rookie was only getting started.
"There's still a lot of improvement there which is the exciting thing for him, and the exciting thing for us," Fearne said.
Both teams will have a rest for the NBL's representative bye week. Cairns are in action next against Sydney on November 30, with Illawarra to play Melbourne on December 4.
