Legendary Bryce Cotton has broken Adelaide's long-standing, single-game NBL scoring record, pouring in 53 points to steer the 36ers to a 91-86 victory over the gallant Cairns Taipans.
The five-team league MVP was the difference at the Cairns Convention Centre on Saturday, peeling off his second career half-century and the first in Sixers history.
"It sure is nice to be on the other side of Bryce Cotton shooting the ball a whole bunch," Adelaide coach Mike Wells said.
"I don't know what else to say when somebody, offensively, does what he did tonight.
"Bryce put on a show."
In just his sixth game as a 36er, Cotton broke the previous mark of 48 set by the late Darryl Pearce against Newcastle in 1988.
Cotton's quarter-by-quarter scores were 11, 12, eight and 22.
"I was so tired but I wanted to win," said Cotton, who hit 16-of-29 from the field, 16-of-16 from the free-throw line and dished five assists.
"We made some winning plays when we needed it most.
"Extremely proud - you want to stack as many wins on the road as you can."
Flynn Cameron's 14 points was the next best haul for the second-placed Sixers (5-1).
Andrew Andrews (23 points), Admiral Schofield (18) and Rene Smith (17) were solid for the Taipans (2-5), who fought hard without their injured superstar Jack McVeigh (wrist).
Cotton caught fire in the first quarter, which ended on a buzzer-beating tip-jam from Cairns big man Marcus Lee to reduce Adelaide's lead to 19-17.
The Snakes' defence stuck like glue to every 36er bar Cotton, whose 23-point half gave the visitors a 44-36 half-time cushion.
Cotton's left-handed drive early in the third period boosted Adelaide's advantage to 14 points, before Cairns diligently ate into the deficit.
They sliced it to 64-57 at three-quarter time, then to a single point with just over a minute left after Schofield buried his fifth triple.
Smith nailed back-to-back three-point bombs in the dying stages for the Taipans, who lost Andrews late when he copped his second technical foul for dissent.
But in the end the home side simply had no answer for Cotton's brilliance.
"The boys played their hearts out," Cairns coach Adam Forde said.
"We left some points at the foul line and at the rim.
"But I can't shake the boys' effort and desire to compete and play hard."
