A season-defining moment as Hawks win again in the south

Hawks import Lucas Sutherland (No 35) and Southland Sharks star Alonzo Burton (No 4) in the Hawks’ 100-99 win in Invercargill on Thursday night. Photo / Monica Toretto - NBL

The Taylor Hawks have given their Sal’s NBL playoff hopes a big boost with a dramatic come-from-behind, one-point, last-10-seconds win over Southland Sharks in Invercargill.

The 100-99 win on Thursday night came after the side had been down 81-71 entering the last quarter, and happened when Josh Roberts popped two-from-two from the free-throw line in the last scoring acts of the game.

It made it two wins from three in a sequence of four matches in the South Island, the loss being to defending champions Canterbury Rams last Saturday, and completed a double against the Sharks, who were beaten 107-80 by the Hawks in Taradale in April.

It maintains sixth place, with six wins from 13 games in a 20-match programme, with a match against Otago Nuggets in Dunedin to play on Saturday afternoon before heading back to Hawke’s Bay for successive home games against Nelson Giants (June 15), Wellington Saints (June 20) and Taranaki Airs (June 26).

The Hawks won last year’s match against the Nuggets in Dunedin.

The big efforts on Thursday night came from imports Isaiah Moore and Lucas Sutherland, each with the match-high of 24pts, and Keanu Rasmussen with 20pts.

The Hawks started well, leading 24-17 at the end of the first quarter, but it was reversed in the next 10 minutes with the Hawks down 55-46 at halftime.

Coach Sam Gruggen said he’d always thought that the results in the south could be season-defining, for what is a near-new starting five this year.

“It was a good win, and hard-fought,” he said, adding the side is now “definitely capable” of being in the top six for the playoffs next month.

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 51 years of journalism experience, 40 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.