The Illawarra Hawks sent a resounding message to the rest of the NBL on Saturday night, steamrolling the Melbourne United 117-95 in front of their home fans at the WIN Entertainment Centre. The emphatic victory sees the Hawks maintain their grip on the top spot in the league standings at 16-8, while Melbourne drops to 15-10 and surrenders second place to the Perth Wildcats.
A Statement Win
Whether it was payback for their previous home loss to United, a response to Monday’s defeat in Adelaide, or a desire to cement their status as title favorites, the Hawks came out with a point to prove. They feasted on the offensive glass, grabbing a whopping 19 offensive rebounds which led to 25 valuable second chance points.
The Hawks’ depth and firepower were on full display, with contributions coming from all over the roster:
- Trey Kell III led the way with 23 points, draining 5 of 9 from beyond the arc
- Tyler Harvey added 20 points and 9 assists in an excellent two-way performance
- Lachlan Olbrich chipped in 18 points, punctuated by a pair of thunderous dunks
- Sam Froling posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds
Tempers Flare
The last time these teams met in Wollongong, tensions boiled over as the Hawks took issue with what they perceived as repeated flopping by United captain Chris Goulding. The home crowd made sure to voice their displeasure with Goulding again in this one.
Goulding kept Melbourne within striking distance early, pouring in 14 first-half points on a barrage of three-pointers. But he would not score again after the break as the Hawks locked in defensively and pulled away. United shot just 40% overall and went a paltry 11-of-35 from long range.
We knew they would come out fired up after last time, but we just didn’t match their intensity. They outworked us on the glass and made us pay. Hats off to them, they were the better team tonight.
– Chris Goulding, Melbourne United captain
Hawks Flying High
With this win, the Hawks have now won 7 of their last 9 and are establishing themselves as the clear team to beat heading into the NBL postseason. Their explosive offense, spearheaded by the dynamic backcourt duo of Harvey and Kell, is complemented by a hard-nosed defense anchored by Froling and rugged big man AJ Ogilvy.
The rest of the league has officially been put on notice – the road to the NBL championship runs through the Illawarra. The Hawks will look to continue their momentum as they head into a pivotal clash with the surging Wildcats next weekend in a matchup that could very well be a Finals preview.
