NBL whipping boys the Hunter Pirates recorded their second win of the season with a nailbiting 109-103 overtime win over Cairns at Newcastle.

Scenes of delirium and a standing ovation greeted the final whistle as the young franchise recorded its first win under new coach David Simmons, who took over when the last-placed Pirates sacked Bruce Palmer after just 11 games.

The Pirates seemed to have clinched victory in regular time when forward Kevin Brooks sunk a three-pointer with less than 15 seconds remaining but Taipans guard Anthony Stewart coolly responded with a long bomb of his own to send the match into an extra period.

The Pirates were impressively composed during overtime and were not fazed by the Queenslanders, who recorded a 99-62 win over Hunter when the teams met earlier this season.

But Hunter captain Matt Shanahan, who collected 23 for the night, sunk two clutch baskets and the game-winning free throws to seal a much needed victory for the homeside.

Simmons said his players should revel in the victory.

"That was a great atmosphere and I want the players to soak it up so that the next time we hit the court we come out with the same kind of passion," he said.

Cairns coach Guy Molloy lauded Hunter's all-round effort but singled out Geordie Cullen's 31-point game-high performance and unknown Pirates rookie Joshua Morgan for special praise.

"We started very slowly but I give full credit to the Pirates," Molloy said.

"They jumped on us right from the start and Geordie Cullen kicked our butts and Kevin Brooks sunk some big shots.

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