Bartlett dropped six threes from downtown in six straight possessions to rack up 20 points on the trot to offer the visitors a glimmer of hope but to no avail.
It frustrated Hill that his troops were incapable of stringing together four quarters.
"I obviously have to find out what makes these guys play four quarters in a game."
The former Tall Black had benched his starting five for a lion's share of the third quarter and felt that's why the Mountainairs had out-rebounded the Hawks 42-33.
"I'm more concerned in regards to these guys not getting up to play. You know, it's their job and it's beginning to get quite frustrating obviously because we should have won."
He said the mantra of how close the Hawks were getting but then consistently finding themselves on the wrong side of the ledger was wearing thin.
"It's been happening all year. We had a win where we played every quarter and that was up there against Auckland [James Blond Supercity Rangers at Te Awamutu]," he lamented.
Hill said one sizzling quarter out of four would never equate to a game.
Since taking over Kirstin Daly-Taylor last month, he registered two victories on the trot but that has since come to an abrupt halt with a rash of five defeats.
Hill also sent rookie professional South African-born, US-based power forward Grant Fiorentinos packing and brought in veteran American Kareem Johnson into the equation a fortnight ago.
The Hawks have four games remaining, including a reload at New Plymouth on Friday, June 9.
The other games are away against James Bond Supercity Rangers this Thursday, unbeaten defending champions Wellington Saints at the Pettigrew-Green Arena, Taradale, this Saturday and then SIT Zero Fees Southland Sharks at ILT Stadium, Southland, to finish their season on Sunday, June 11.
"They [Rangers] are beat-able but it's a case of which Hawks will turn up.
"I'm scratching everything to figure out why because I can't yell at these guys any more for the whole 40 minutes when things aren't working."
Time, he emphasised, wasn't on their side because they hit the highway to Trusts Arena, Waitakere, on Wednesday for a 7pm tip off the next day before a quick turnaround to host the rampant Saints.
Out of the Final Four in a fortnight, the last-placed Hawks desperately need a win to eclipse Taranaki perched a point above them on the seven-team table to avoid the woodenspoon in consecutive NBL seasons in what would be an unwanted historic occasion for the Bay franchise.
MATCH STATISTICS
Taranaki Mountainairs figures first:
Field goals: 38/72 (52%); 31/64 (48%).
3 pointers: 13/20 (65%); 13/27 (48%).
Free throws: 12/25 (48%); 21/27 (77%).
Rebounds: 42; 33.
Assists: 26; 23.
Steals: 11; 5.
Blocks: 2; 3.
Turnovers: 14/14.
Fouls (fouls on): 21 (21); 22 (21).
Points in the paint: 30; 38.
2nd chance pts: 8; 16.
Pts off turnovers: 20/17.
Pts off bench: 17; 18.
Result: Taranaki Mountainairs 101 (Alonzo Burton 27pts; Tylor Ongwae 23pts; Aaron Bailey-Nowell 13pts, 9 reb) Taylor Corporation Hawks 96 (Everard Bartlett 25pts, 7 assists; Jarrod Kenny 18pts, 6 assists; Joshua Fox 13pts, 5 assists; Amir Williams 12pts, 11 reb; Tony Tolovae 11pts).
Quarters (Airs first), 1st: 23-20. 2nd: 45-34 (22-14). 3rd: 80-54 (35-20). Final: 101-96 (21-40).
- Fiba live scoring
