Bartlett said Hill had driven those concerns home at halftime but the players hadn't responded.
The shooting guard said even the statistics reflected that, showing the Hawks trailed 12-15 in second-chance points despite a 72-52 per cent domination in the paint.
Offensively the hosts were fine with Joshua Fox contributing 18 points, fellow swingman Tony Tolovae coming to the party with 13 and double-double man Amir Williams adding 12.
US import centre Williams collected 14 rebounds but the rest of his teammates, perhaps bar Darryl Jones' five, failed to turn up tonight to claim off the glass.
"Shucks, we just didn't do our jobs, that is protect our paint, and we didn't rebound," said Bartlett, putting on the smile for the kids seeking autographs.
"I don't know what else to say. It just cost us the game."
Bartlett and fellow co-skipper Jarrod Kenny set the tone with a basket and a downtown delivery, respectively, for a 5-0 lead for the Hawks in the first quarter.
Rangers coach Jeff Green and veteran point guard Lindsay Tait were not amused with referee Elliott Duncan making a travelling violation call on Tait, prompting fellow whistle blower Yalla Edwards to caution Green.
More tirade followed close to approaching the five-minute mark with Tait bitterly complaining to Duncan: "Not one single call has gone my way."
With 2:56 left in the spell, a fuming Tait flattened the Luscombe Legal cardboard hoarding with a vicious kick when Green benched him, to the amusement of some whistling PG Arena fans. What the former Tall Black said cannot be printed.
The Hawks were guilty of committing silly fouls, gambling too much from the carpark and lacking urgency in putting their hands up while retreating.
The Rangers gnawed back the lead to level 17-17 but that urgency in the hosts' defence returned after a timeout.
Noticeably all wasn't well with the city slickers either as Green also lost patience with his troops, driving home his message with some choice colourful words.
Regrettably for the Hawks that lackadaisical attitude came at a cost as the visitors ended the quarter with a 27-24 lead.
In the second quarter, the Rangers surged ahead, 29-24, but Green left Tait on the bench.
As the Hawks reached the halfway mark, a Bartlett three-pointer put them 33-31 ahead.
Williams was putting his height to great use, plucking everything defensively from the glass while Fox and Tolovae were showing the benefits of driving down the lane rather than chancing the arm once too often from speculators.
With three to go, Kenny drew the ire of Edwards and a technical foul for apparently using foul language. Timeout followed but little changed.
South Africa import power forward Grant Fiorentinos copped a foul call from Elliott after guard Mitch McCarron went sliding off the court.
Rangers import centre Nnanna Egwu and Fiorentinos squared off amid another on-court deliberation as the Hawks trailed 43-35.
Another travelling violation call on Rangers, this time from referee Jason McCabe and Green marched on to the court, remonstrating with Elliott after McCabe showed the coach a clean pair of heels.
Bartlett signed off with a three-pointer to beat the clock but the Rangers went into the locker room 47-42 (20-18) up.
Former shooting guard Paora Winitana received his retired No 8 singlet from Hill, sponsor Cameron Taylor and franchise board chairman Keith Price.
Winitana thanked the franchise team and reiterated the need for retiring the No 32 singlet of former Hawks captain/coach Paul Henare who is now Tall Black and New Zealand Breakers coach.
The Hawks and Rangers paid their ultimate respect, opting to delay their warm up.
Kenny then led a rousing haka with Rangers player Daniel Green, the son of coach Green, joining them.
Winitana got a hug from coach Green on the way back to his seat alongside wife Tia and their six children at a hospitality table.
The second spell was notable for Tait's return but it was Rangers captain Dillon Boucher's presence that saw the Rangers surge to 51-44 lead within two minutes of play.
Import guard Earnest Ross jnr stealing the ball from behind Kenny as the Hawks counter attacked from their own half epitomised again that mental lapse.
If Tait had found his shooting mojo to eventually finish with a match-high 26, Kenny repeatedly got the jilt from the rim. Ditto forward Jones from his long-range finders.
Luckily Bartlett, Tolovae and Fox were in good touch to help level, 71-71 with 1:30 remaining on the clock in the third spell when the intensity of the hustle became evident.
It was still a worrying sign that the Hawks parted like the Red Sea whenever Tait drove to the key.
Admirably both sides kept each other scoreless for a 71-71 statement although the Hawks won that tussle 29-24.
At the two-minute interval, Boucher ran the riot act in the Rangers' huddle as coach Green took the back seat in the huddle.
"Defence, defence, defence," the former New Zealand and Breakers forward barked amid the din.
It was end-to-end basketball in the final quarter with the Hawks up 82-81 as they approached the halfway mark of the final quarter with timeout called.
The Rangers struck first with a basket and one from McCarron as the Hawks went off the boil to let the visitors streak ahead 91-87 with 1:46 left on the clock.
The hosts recovered but not quick enough as the Rangers thwarted attacks and ruffled the Hawks' feathers to edge ahead, 93-87, before counting the seconds down on 95-88 to win that spell 24-17 and wrap up the game.
McCarron scored 24 points, Ross jnr added 14 but the damning statistics came in their rebounds - Egwyu collected 10, Boucher and terrier McCarron eight each while Tait and Ross jnr put their signature on six each.
Relatively pint-sized McCarron and Ross jnr showed you don't have to be big to rebound.
Boucher made eight assists while Kenny won that title with a game-high nine for the Hawks.
It was two steps up for the Rangers but two back for the Hawks to reaffirm fears their two wins were against inferior opposition.
