Hawks hold off fast-finishing Kings

Updated March 24, 2012 23:37:55

Wollongong survived a blistering Kings fightback to score a 77-68 win in Sydney on Saturday night.

Hawks import point guard Ayinde Ubaka's back-to-back three-pointers midway through the final quarter, after the Kings had cut the Hawks' 16-point lead to two, were decisive.

It had been a quiet night for Ubaka until that point, with Joevan Catron (15 points) and Rhys Martin (12 points) stepping up for the away side.

The home side, though, will see this game as an opportunity missed.

The Kings appeared set to run over the top of Wollongong after their 7-0 surge reduced their deficit to just a basket late in the fourth quarter, but had no answer once Ubaka struck.

The home side's young gun Anatoly Bose (21 points) was inspirational throughout and was the early catalyst in a blistering opening.

The Kings led by as many as 13 points early in the game, with Ben Madgen and Jerai Grant dominating.

The Hawks were in a daze early, shooting just 26 per cent in the first quarter as the Kings dominated at both ends of the court.

A seven-point run from the Hawks to start the second quarter changed the landscape of the game and sparked the Hawks' three-point shooting into life, with back-to-back triples from Oscar Forman and Mat Campbell stunning.

And where the Kings dominated the rebounds in the first quarter, the Hawks were beginning to flex their muscles under the glass soon after.

When Ubaka's first points of the game early in the third quarter gave the Hawks a handy 14-point lead, the home side's task became a lot tougher.

Despite their sensational final-quarter run that brought the 7,282-strong crowd to life, the gap proved a bridge too far and the Hawks held on.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, sydney-2000, wollongong-2500, nsw, australia

First posted March 24, 2012 23:26:04

View the original article here

Hawks come home strong to top Tigers

Updated March 18, 2012 21:39:30

Wollongong turned up the heat on Melbourne after half-time to cruise to a 71-61 victory at The Cage on Sunday night.

Hawks forward Oscar Forman scored 18 points on a dead-eye 7-of-10 shooting, 12 of those from three-point range, and retiring guard Mat Campbell added 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting.

The Tigers erased a two-point quarter-time deficit to tie things up by half-time, but Wollongong kept its nose ahead after three periods and then stormed home 20-12 in the final quarter.

Melbourne swingman Benny Lewis and big man Matthew Burston had 11 points each for the Tigers, while Tom Greer chipped in seven points and eight rebounds.

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, wollongong-2500, nsw, australia

First posted March 18, 2012 21:39:30

View the original article here

Hawks farewell Campbell in style

Updated March 25, 2012 21:36:30

Wollongong gave its inspirational captain Mat Campbell a deserving farewell in his final NBL game, chalking up a 92-78 win over the Adelaide 36ers on Sunday.

The Hawks unleashed a phenomenal 9-of-15 three-point shooting display in the first half, sending Campbell off with a string of three wins and deferring the wooden spoon to Adelaide in the process.

Elsewhere, Gold Coast (17-11) completed a confidence-boosting home 94-71 home win over New Zealand (21-7).

The Breakers were scorched by a Blaze team that shot at 63 per cent from three-point territory.

A crowd of 5,032 flocked to the Sandpit to celebrate the career of their leader who reciprocated with six points and four assists, his final score coming off a trademark fallaway jumper.

"I was a bit emotional at the start and I really wanted to focus on the game tonight," Campbell said.

"It was really important for me to win the game, I didn't want to go out on a losing note, especially with the wooden spoon up for grabs.

"I was trying to block out all that emotional stuff, but ... it was something special."

Oscar Forman (22 points) and Larry Davidson (16 points) led the way for the Hawks, while Stephen Weigh (15 points) and Daniel Johnson (14 points) topped the 36ers.

Campbell got into the action early with a driving lay-up, the rest of the Hawks then swooped with three-pointers by Forman, Davidson and Ayinde Ubaka pushing the score to 15-4.

Wollongong featured eight scorers as they claimed the opening quarter 31-19, while Johnson and Diamon Simpson accounted for nine of Adelaide's points.

The 36ers crept within 10 points on a three from Weigh, but another flood of triples by Rhys Martin, Tim Coenraad and Glen Saville secured a commanding 59-38 half-time lead for the Hawks.

Adelaide took the third 15-12 as the scoring pace slowed down, leaving Wollongong with a 71-53 buffer to protect in the final quarter.

The 36ers threatened with a 6-0 run to pull within 12, but were quickly stifled when Forman knocked down his fifth triple to shut down his former team.

Campbell was presented with a key to the city of Wollongong by Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery prior to tip-off.

He was subbed with just over a minute to play and was saluted to a deafening standing ovation as he exited the floor for the final time.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, wollongong-2500, nsw, australia

First posted March 25, 2012 19:56:33

View the original article here

Blaze crush hapless Hawks

Updated February 04, 2012 23:20:02

Mark Worthington led the Blaze to a 91-50 annihilation of Wollongong Hawks in Saturday night's spiteful NBL encounter on the Gold Coast.

The Boomer was bruising in defence and lethal in attack, finishing with 25 points, five rebounds and two steals with strong support from Adris Deleon and Adam Gibson (both 13 points).

Only recruit Ayinde Ubaka (12 points) managed double figures for Wollongong as the visitors struggled to find a way through the jamming Gold Coast defence.

Worthington found himself receiving verbal and physical attention from the Hawks, who became frustrated by the physicality and lop-sided scoreline.

Veteran Hawks coach Gordie McLeod received a rare technical foul for questioning referee Scott Beker, and said after the game the Blaze had "stepped it up a lot of notches" since their last meeting.

"That was like going through a tsunami," a stunned McLeod said.

"They manhandled us. There was no way we were going to be able to run and execute the way they were defending."

Worthington declared the Blaze were far from the finished product yet.

"The last two weeks have just been a glimpse at what we do (but) we still have our breakdowns and we're not happy about it," he said.

"If we were peaking right now then I would be worried. We've got the top two in our sights, they're the benchmark."

The Blaze ambushed the Hawks early with its rugged defence, knocking the visitors out of their offensive rhythm and leaping to a 17-7 lead.

The injection of Ubaka made some headway against the Gold Coast defence, the guard scoring eight points including a late triple to keep the Hawks within range, 26-17 down after 10 minutes.

Deleon found his range early in the second term, his two long-range jumpshots pushing the lead out to 13 before the technical foul on McLeod increased the advantage to 17.

Wollongong launched a mini fight-back with three consecutive baskets late in the term, but it was unable to build any pressure against the impregnable Gold Coast defence, going to the main break trailing 47-29.

The dam wall cracked wide open in the third quarter as the Gold Coast ran roughshod over the visitors to record its fourth consecutive win.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, broadbeach-4218, qld, wollongong-2500, nsw, australia

First posted February 04, 2012 22:54:51

View the original article here

Deleon steers Blaze past Hawks

Updated February 24, 2012 22:58:49

A gritty fourth quarter has sealed Gold Coast a much-needed 94-86 NBL win over the Hawks in Wollongong on Friday night.

Adris Deleon scored 13 of his 15 points in the fourth to help guide the Blaze home and keep them firmly in the playoff picture, while Ayinde Ubaka produced a team-high 24 points for the Hawks.

The Hawks had few answers for Gold Coast's front-court combination of Mark Worthington (26 points) and Anthony Petrie (19 points), who accounted for 19 of their team's 30-point second quarter that created a handy 51-43 half-time buffer.

Petrie carried the early offensive load, scoring the Blaze's first nine points as his duel with former team-mate Glen Saville produced the first 11 points of the game.

Worthington scored the Gold Coast's next six points, but a Mat Campbell triple and four late points from Rhys Martin saw the Hawks poke their heads in front 22-21 at quarter-time.

After eight lead changes early in the second stanza, a pair of buckets by Petrie helped spark a 16-2 run for the Blaze, Worthington capping the surge with consecutive three-pointers to give the visitors a healthy eight-point lead at the main break.

Courtesy of five unanswered points from Adam Gibson, the Blaze led by as much as 12 in the third, but threes by Campbell and Oscar Forman helped the Hawks chip away at the deficit.

When Hawks centre Larry Davidson scored four late points and Deleon gifted the home team a pair of free throws on a technical foul, Gold Coast's lead had been reduced to 67-65.

Ubaka gave the Hawks their first lead since the second quarter at 73-72 with a pull-up three, setting up a thrilling final five minutes but Deleon delivered victory for Gold Coast.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, wollongong-2500

First posted February 24, 2012 22:29:36

View the original article here

Sixers win tough over Hawks

Updated March 03, 2012 23:04:10

The 36ers continued their late-season resurgence with a tough 77-73 win over Wollongong at Adelaide Arena on Saturday.

In a hard-fought game that rarely reached great heights, the 36ers finally got on top late in the third period before a futile last-gasp fightback by the Hawks.

Hawks guard Ayinde Ubaka was outstanding with 23 points, as was Larry Davidson (17 points, seven rebounds).

Adelaide centre Daniel Johnson was solid with 16 points, Stephen Weigh chipped in with 12 and point guard Chris Warren had 11 points and five assists.

Both sides struggled to find their offensive rhythm early with solid defence the order of the day.

Regardless, the lead changed 12 times with pacey 36ers guard Warren a standout for the home side, as was team-mate Daren Ng with a superb three-pointer.

Davidson and Ubaka also looked switched on for the contest, producing some classy finishing to help the visitors to a 19-18 lead at the first break.

Defence dominated the second period, and despite a brilliant three-pointer late in the term from Hawks guard Tyson Demos the 36ers did enough to take a 32-30 advantage into half-time.

Davidson burst out of the blocks early in the third term with a quick-fire six points. Johnson looked more threatening for the 36ers and when Warren thrilled the crowd with a brace of triples the game began to open up.

Weigh and Mitch Creek sank further three-pointers, and when Everard Bartlett repeated the feat on the buzzer the home side led 53-45 at the last change.

Thanks to guard Nathan Herbert's finishing, the 36ers maintained a 10-point lead at the halfway stage of the final term. However, a Ubaka three followed by a Forman basket kept the Hawks in it.

Weigh and Johnson steadied the 36ers' nerves, however, and they held on for a morale-boosting win.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, adelaide-5000, sa, australia, wollongong-2500, nsw

First posted March 03, 2012 23:04:10

View the original article here

Hawks stun ladder-leading Breakers

Updated February 11, 2012 22:26:08

Oscar Forman delivered a game-high 29 points to lead the Hawks to an 80-64 win over NBL leaders New Zealand Breakers in Wollongong.

The Hawks snapped the defending champions five-game winning run.

Forman poured in 21 points in the first half and finished with a perfect 7-of-7 clip from long-range.

Both teams were in blistering form from long-distance, combining for a total of 19-of-44, but the Breakers were broken down by the Hawks' stifling defence in a 16-8 final quarter.

Gary Wilkinson led New Zealand with 16 points, while Daryl Corletto, Cedric Jackson and Thomas Abercrombie each added 12.

The Hawks claimed the opening period 20-14 with Forman providing 10 points, he and Corletto duelling from long-range with four consecutive three-pointers between them.

Forman kept a hot hand in the second, knocking down a pair of vital triples, the second cutting a 6-0 Breakers run and giving the Hawks a seven-point buffer (35-28).

Moments later Forman drained his fifth three-pointer and consecutive buckets by Catron gave the Hawks a 42-32 half-time lead.

CJ Bruton snatched the last points of the half with a runner, ending a rare 20-minute phase that saw the Breakers on the wrong side of a 10-2 turnover count.

Jackson looked to reverse the turnover trend in the third, stealing the ball on the first possession for a breakaway slam as the Breakers scored the first five.

Demos entered the game after Ayinde Ubaka was called for his third foul and sank back-to-back threes to spark a 9-0 Hawks run.

The Hawks led by as many as 12 and absorbed 15 combined points from Abercrombie and Wilkinson to hold a 64-56 advantage heading into the fourth.

Wollongong rode a 5-0 start to the final period, eating almost five minutes off the clock before their backcourt combo of Ubaka and Rhys Martin steered them to victory.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, wollongong-2500, nsw, australia, new-zealand

First posted February 11, 2012 22:26:08

View the original article here

On-target Kings shoot down Hawks

Updated March 09, 2012 22:34:29

An amazing shooting display by the Sydney Kings has secured a 92-81 win over arch-rival Wollongong on Friday night.

Sydney shot at 52 per cent from the field and 71 per cent from beyond the arc in its most impressive display of the season to seal the comfortable victory in Wollongong.

The visiting Kings built a handy double-digit lead in the first half before absorbing the Hawks' own long-range shooting barrage which featured seven three-pointers for the half.

The Kings were led by Jerai Grant (20 points, eight rebounds), Anatoly Bose (19 points, six rebounds) and Ben Madgen (17 points), while former Hawk Luke Martin (six assists) iced the game with nine of his 17 points in the fourth quarter.

Hawks centre Larry Davidson made the most of Kings star Julian Khazzouh's absence, pouring in a team-high 24 points with seven boards, but his team lacked considerable punch at the defensive end.

After two quick fouls to Graeme Dann the injection of Alex Gynes sparked the Kings to an 11-4 start.

Gynes paced Sydney with six points in seven minutes, while Martin capped the quarter with a triple to push the Kings ahead 23-12.

Wollongong rallied behind Davidson, who found a pair of buckets inside before stepping behind the arc and swishing a triple.

The Hawks pulled within five points at 25-20, but were suddenly hit with six unanswered points from the visitors, highlighted by Grant storming down the lane for a thunderous dunk in traffic.

Grant led a devastating defensive stand and Luke Cooper knocked down a pair of threes as Sydney surged ahead 46-29 at half-time.

Wollongong clawed back in the third term through the long-ball, connecting on five three-pointers to pull to within three points at 52-49.

Madgen kept Sydney afloat with a three in reply, before Bose drained a pair of triples to steady the ship at 61-53.

Luke Martin once again had the last say of the period with another top-of-the-key triple to make it 64-57 heading into the fourth.

Martin was hot down the stretch, exploding for seven straight points including a three-point dagger that sealed the result.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport

First posted March 09, 2012 22:34:29

View the original article here

Hawks wind back clock to thump Tigers

Updated January 27, 2012 22:47:45

Ayinde Ubaka and the new-look Hawks carved out a commanding 90-68 NBL win over the Melbourne Tigers in Wollongong to end a run of seven losses at home.

The Hawks built a 20-point buffer in the first half and survived a shaky third quarter to record the comfortable victory with the help of their newest recruit and former Tiger Ubaka.

Ubaka gave his new fans plenty to cheer about on his way to 15 points, including eight-from-eight free throws, three steals and three assists.

Mat Campbell produced a vintage outing with 17 points that included four three-pointers, while Glen Saville added 13 points and nine boards.

For the Tigers, forward Liam Rush poured in 18 points and Myron Allen impressed with 17 points, nine rebounds and six assists as Melbourne slumped to its sixth straight loss.

Wollongong got off to a dream start as Campbell streaked to the hoop for a three-point play off the initial jump ball.

The Hawks captain continued to roll, draining a pair of triples as the hosts ran away with a 31-16 first-quarter advantage.

An early 8-0 spurt in the second term extended the Hawks' lead to 20, then after Allen and Rush rallied for the Tigers, Tim Coenraad's jumper produced a 56-36 half-time lead.

Melbourne notched the first six points of the third to momentarily silence the crowd, but the Hawks faithful let out a sigh of relief when Larry Davidson stroked a three from the top of the key.

Both teams then struggled to find baskets until Joevan Catron broke the stalemate to keep the Hawks afloat at 69-52 with 10 minutes to play.

The Tigers threatened early in the fourth, but a string of threes by Oscar Forman, Saville, Campbell and Ubaka secured the Hawks' second home win of the season.

Meanwhile, New Zealand Breakers made it four wins in a row with a 93-64 thrashing of Sydney Kings in Auckland.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, wollongong-2500, melbourne-3000

First posted January 27, 2012 22:47:45

View the original article here

Crocs beat Hawks on the buzzer

Updated January 21, 2012 23:40:07

Eddie Gills drained a buzzer-beater to give the Townsville Crocodiles a thrilling 65-63 NBL home win over the Wollongong Hawks on Saturday night.

Gill finished with 11 points, but youngster Todd Blanchfield was the match-winner with 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting and eight rebounds at the Townsville Entertainment Centre.

For the Hawks, Tim Coenraad (16 points), Oscar Forman (16) and Rhys Martin (11) were outstanding in a hostile environment as Wollongong nearly pulled off a memorable victory.

Spurred by their win over the Taipans the Hawks initiated a fast-paced contest but the Crocs led 39-37 at the half.

The Crocs threatened to break away repeatedly in the second half, but the Hawks hung tough after Townsville established a 56-47 lead.

Larry Davidson levelled the scores at 63-63 before Gill broke the Hawks hearts with his heroics.

On the Gold Coast, the Blaze survived a second-half scare to crush the Melbourne Tigers 92-78.

In Gold Coast veteran Stephen Hoare's 450th NBL game the Blaze made sure it was a night to celebrate, defeating the club he called home for eight seasons.

Fittingly it was Hoare who sealed the win after the Blaze had blown a 20-point third quarter-lead, slicing his way through traffic to push the home team's lead back past double-digits with less than four minutes remaining.

The leadership of point guard Adam Gibson (23 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists) was superb, while Mark Worthington (19) and Anthony Petrie (12) also made strong contributions for the Blaze.

Ron Dorsey, with 24 points, was a constant threat for the Tigers, although he found little help from his team-mates.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, townsville-4810, qld, australia, wollongong-2500, nsw, southport-4215, melbourne-3000, vic

First posted January 21, 2012 23:40:07

View the original article here

Hawks hold off Sixers

Updated October 16, 2011 21:49:27

Wollongong triumphed 97-89 at home in a neck-and-neck NBL clash with Adelaide on Sunday afternoon.

Sixers guard Chris Warren nailed four three-pointers on his way to a game-high 25 points while team-mate Mitchell Creek went 7-of-9, 2-of-2 from long range, in an 18-point performance.

But that was not enough to curtail the Hawks' shooters.

Oscar Forman, Rhys Martin and Mat Campbell had 16 apiece for the home side, with Forman adding 11 rebounds and Martin nine assists.

Only one point separated the teams after the first quarter with Wollongong trailing, but the hosts hit back to take a six-point advantage into half-time.

The 36ers prevailed in the championship quarter and enjoyed a four-point buffer coming into the final period but Wollongong was just too strong.

Blaze bettered

In Sunday's late clash, the Blaze let Cairns Taipans off the hook and fell to a 91-82 loss on the Gold Coast.

The home side led by six points with under five minutes to play before the Taipans rattled off a 17-2 run to snatch ascendancy.

Cairns guard Andrew Warren led all scorers with 28, including five-of-seven from three-point land, while team-mates Dusty Rychart (14), Brad Hill (13) and Jamar Wilson (13) also contributed strongly.

Gold Coast used a 30-point second term to take a three-point lead into half-time but slipped to train by a point with a period to go.

The Taipans turned on the offensive heat though, their massive run sparked by a Rychart two-pointer followed by a pair of Warren three-pointers that sandwiched another Rychart two-ball.

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, wollongong-2500, nsw, adelaide-5000, sa, australia

First posted October 16, 2011 19:19:37

View the original article here

Tigers bounce back to edge Hawks

Updated October 30, 2011 22:00:25

Patty Mills and Ayinde Ubaka shot the lights out from downtown as Melbourne came back to trump the Hawks 82-74 in Wollongong.

Boomers and Portland NBA point guard Mills hit four three-pointers and went 7-for-13 from the floor as the Tigers consolidated their spot in the top half of the competition.

He was ably assisted by Ubaka (14 points, 4-of-6 from downtown), Daniel Dillion (13) and Cameron Tragardh (12).

But Melbourne had to battle back from a dismal opening quarter that saw the Hawks race out to a 27-15 advantage by the first break.

The Tigers trailed by 10 at half-time after a low-scoring second period but then turned the deficit into a one-point lead.

Ubaka's long-range accuracy arrived at the right time as the journeyman guard dropped three from outside the arc in the final quarter to ice the win for Melbourne.

Joevan Catron had 18 for Wollongong but missed all four of his shot attempts from downtown, while Hawks stars Rhys Martin (six on 3-of-8 shooting) and Oscar Forman (seven, 3-of-8) both struggled on the night.

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, wollongong-2500, nsw, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted October 30, 2011 21:42:23

View the original article here

Kings reel in Hawks

Updated October 24, 2011 00:05:36

Sydney picked up its second win of the round, coming from behind in the final quarter to notch a 95-89 home win over Wollongong.

Rookie Anatoly Bose finished with 24 points, including two clutch three-pointers in the fourth period, to help the Kings reverse a 10-point deficit.

Big plays from Luke Cooper and Ben Madgen in the final quarter and a haul of 20 points from Julian Khazzouh and 14 from Aaron Bruce also assisted Sydney over the line.

The Hawks almost pulled off the victory after surrendering the lead in the fourth, with Joevan Catron (23 points) and Tyson Demos (20) starring but falling short at the death.

The Kings are now 2-2 for the season with Wollongong 3-1.

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia, wollongong-2500

First posted October 23, 2011 23:58:27

View the original article here

Hawks steal upset win in New Zealand

Updated November 11, 2011 21:46:26

Wollongong stunned the NBL champion Breakers 81-63 in Auckland on Friday night.

Fuelled by a pinpoint display of long-distance shooting, the Hawks reeled off a 14-3 run in the final period to thwart any hope of a Breakers comeback.

Hawks point guard Rhys Martin led all scorers with 19 points and power forward Joevan Catron scored 10.

CJ Bruton paced the Breakers with just 10 points, while Mika Vukona finished with 12 boards.

When Bruton struck from afar the home lead was 24-21 after the first quarter, the hosts' defensive effort forcing Wollongong into seven turnovers.

The Breakers were rarely in the contest after that point, however, with veteran Glen Saville hitting a three-pointer and turnaround jumper to put the Hawks in front midway through the second period.

New Zealand needed a spark in the third quarter, but instead it lost one.

After Hawks marksmen Mat Campbell and Larry Davidson put Wollongong ahead 48-40, Breakers point guard Cedric Jackson aggravated his injured ankle driving to the basket.

The Hawks immediately capitalised, extending their margin into double figures with another Campbell strike and a jumper from Tyson Demos.

Jackson returned and fed centre Alex Pledger for an alley-oop to bring New Zealand to within five, but Martin and Catron sank back-to-back threes to silence the crowd.

From there Wollongong answered every challenge, Martin the mastermind as the visitors recorded one of the biggest upsets of the season.

"The last three games we've lost, we've been in a position to actually win," Wollongong coach Gordie McLeod said.

"So the guys obviously learnt from that tonight.

"We did a good job handling the disruptive defence the Breakers threw at us, we made some shots when we needed to keep them at bay and our defence stood strong for us.

"Any team is vulnerable in this league. All it takes is a couple of guys to be slightly off their game and you're in trouble."

Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis rued his team's 36 per cent scoring conversion.

"At the start, we had some open looks that we missed and we got frustrated. We got rushed and started second-guessing ourselves a little bit," said Lemanis.

"That just seemed to snowball into a performance where we just couldn't find out rhythm at the end of the day."

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand, wollongong-2500, nsw, australia

First posted November 11, 2011 21:14:28

View the original article here