Sam Froling set it up in the first half and the Illawarra Hawks took care of business to maintain NBL top position with the 102-78 win to open Champion Pride Round against the Tasmania JackJumpers.
The JackJumpers were still up against it despite the return of Majok Deng with Sean Macdonald and Will Magnay still absence, and the defending champions felt their absence.
Without Magnay, Froling delivered 16 points and four rebounds in the first half for the Hawks at MyState Bank Arena.
While without Macdonald with the ball in hands, the JackJumpers amassed 13 turnovers for 20 Illawarra points as the visitors claimed the win to stay clear in top spot.
The Hawks had a week to respond to a loss in Cairns last Thursday and needs to keep winning to maintain top spot, and produced a dominant first half performance.
Co-captain Froling produced 16 points for the first half with the Hawks heading into the break leading 52-34.
That was on the back of shooting 52 per cent from the field to just 38 from the JackJumpers while they also added 18 free throws to eight, and scored 14 points off the 11 Tasmania turnovers, and had eight second chance points from six offensive rebounds.
Milton Doyle tried to keep Tasmania in touch with 13 points in the second quarter but throughout the second half they could never get closer than 12 with the Hawks ending up winning by 24 to improve to 18-9 in top spot.
Froling ended up with 18 points and seven rebounds with Tyler Harvey adding 15 points and five assists, Mason Peatling 12 points and six rebounds, Davo Hickey 12 points, four boards, three assists and two blocks, and 431-game veteran Todd Blanchfield 12 points with three triples.
Tasmania (12-15) now need some help with Adelaide losing to be a chance of breaking into the top six with Doyle top-scoring with 17 points but 13 of those came in the second quarter.
Jordon Crawford added 16 points and seven assists, Clint Steindl 13 points, Gorjok Gak seven points and five rebounds, and Nick Stoddart seven points.
It was Gorjok Gak who came out aggressive with four quick points down low for Tasmania, but the JackJumpers only managed nine more the entire first quarter.
The Hawks answered with a 14-3 run that included three-pointers from Mason Peatling and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk before the league-leading visitors ended up leading 21-13 by quarter-time.
Todd Blanchfield put up six quick points to start the second half for Illawarra to push the lead out to double-figures before it was Sam Froling who dominated the rest of the half inside for the Hawks.
Milton Doyle did his best to keep Tasmania in touch with 13 of his 15 points in the second quarter, but Froling scored 16 to the half with 12 in that second period with the Hawks going into the break in control leading 52-34.
Captain Clint Steindl hit eight quick points to start the second half to help the JackJumpers get back to within 12, but the Hawks kept on responding and pushed the lead out to as much as 21 and were on top by 18 at three quarter-time.
Illawarra went on to cruise to the 24-point win with Kuany Kuany even getting some burn late to score for just the second time in the NBL.
The JackJumpers now head straight to Melbourne to play United on Saturday night at a venue and against an opponent they have a terrific record against.
The Hawks are next in action on the road to the New Zealand Breakers on Wednesday before finishing the season at home to the Sydney Kings.
HUNGRY JACK’S NBL SEASON 2024/25
TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 78 (Doyle 17, Crawford 16, Steindl 13)
ILLAWARRA HAWKS 102 (Froling 18, Harvey 15, Blanchfield 12, Hickey 12, Peatling 12)
The Hawthorn Hawks have bounced back from a string of disappointing losses with a dominant performance in Tasmania. The team showed great resilience and determination as they secured a big win over their opponents.
The Hawks came out firing from the first bounce and never looked back, playing with a level of intensity and skill that had been lacking in recent games. The players were hungry for the win and it showed in their performance on the field.
The victory was a much-needed confidence booster for the Hawks, who had been under pressure after a series of poor results. The team showed that they are capable of competing with the best in the competition and have the ability to turn their season around.
The win in Tasmania will give the Hawks a much-needed boost as they look to climb up the ladder and secure a finals spot. It was a statement win that showed the rest of the competition that the Hawks are not to be underestimated.
Overall, it was a fantastic performance from the Hawthorn Hawks and a well-deserved win. The team will be looking to build on this momentum and continue their winning ways in the coming weeks. Watch out for the Hawks as they look to make a push towards the finals.
Tags:
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- Hawthorn Football Club
- Win
- Victory
- Comeback
- Sports
- Tasmania trip
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