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Hawks enter tough stretch after crucial win
Hawks enter tough stretch after crucial win

28 October 2025, 2:00 AM

Illawarra Hawks enter one of the toughest parts of their season in winning form after bouncing back to their best by beating the Wildcats in Perth.Three-time former NBA champion JaVale McGee was the star of the show in the 85-84 triumph last Saturday at the RAC Arena with 24 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.McGee was the difference maker in the closing stages as he scored two baskets in the final minute before Tyler Harvey put the Hawks up by three.Perth levelled via an Elijah Pepper three-pointer but McGee was fouled with just over a second remaining and after missing the first foul shot, the 37-year-old centre drained the second for Illawarra to register a rare win in the West.After a 40-point thrashing the previous round, Illawarra’s win over Perth ensured they stayed in touch with the finals equation as they gear up for four matches in the space of a week."That felt good," McGee said. "Perth put up a hell of a fight; fans going crazy, everyone's against us."That was definitely a crucial win. "We came in with a mindset that we can't lose any more games, and it showed."Harvey played a superb support role to McGee with 24 points, eight assists and five rebounds.Illawarra forward Wani Swaka Lo Buluk chipped in with 11 points while Kiwi teenager Jackson Ball was impressive after getting promoted to the starting line-up.The Hawks enjoyed a +8 differential when he was on the court even though he only finished with two points and five rebounds."It's not just about having confidence in him, this young man worked his tail off for it," coach Justin Tatum said. "As soon as he got here from high school, he still has to go take his exams in a couple of weeks, he had a challenge of going against Swakand TB [Todd Blanchfield] and never backed down."Right now, we needed somebody with his skill set of having composure and who could competently put the ball in the hole."This young man is a very talented kid and we're going to keep using him as we can."The Hawks host the New Zealand Breakers on Friday before travelling to Adelaide for a Sunday stoush with the 36ers.They return to WIN Entertainment Centre on Wednesday against Melbourne United, who have won their first nine matches, before the Hawks head north to Cairns on Friday for a tussle with the Taipans.At 2-4, they cannot afford to slip further down the standings but if they can emerge from this next week with a winning record, they will at least be on an even keel after 10 matches.

Buckley blazes ton for Ex Servos but Kookas have last laugh
Buckley blazes ton for Ex Servos but Kookas have last laugh

27 October 2025, 5:00 AM

Chris Buckley belted a brilliant century for Ex Servos but Warilla's Kookas had the last laugh in the third round of South Coast cricket on the weekend.Buckley blazed a run-a-ball 115 with 14 fours and a couple of sixes at the home side amassed 220 at Hayden Drexel Oval.He shared a 41-run opening stand with Matthew Higham (16) and 46 for the fourth wicket with Kuldeep Singh Rana (14) but wickets kept falling at regular intervals. At 7-146, he was at risk of running out of partners but Matthew Spinks (24) hung around as they advanced the total to 200 before they both fell in quick succession.Veteran all-rounder Craig Bramble took 4-34 and also added 74 with the bat as the visitors reeled in the target with six wickets and as many overs to spare.Opening partner Ethan Maker (33) and Michael Perry (40) were also in the runs for the Kookas.Bay and Basin Dolphins were skittled for just 60 by Lake Illawarra at Sanctuary Point Oval with Jake O'Connell (3-17), Ryan Smith (3-23) and Jaycob Constantinou (2-2) the destroyers.Lake lost five wickets in overhauling the target inside 11 overs with opener Jackson Ingram (34) the only batter to make a double-figure contribution.At Scout Willoughby Oval, Oak Flats posted 8-229 thanks to half-centuries from captain Jack Bennett (50) and opener Kip Penfold (56) but Shellharbour got home in the 45th over.Oran Pattison top-scored with 95 while Zaied Bin Khalid led the way with the ball for the Rats with 3-31.North Nowra Cambewarra scored a convincing win over Kiama with Hugh Gillen (55) and Justin Weller (68) powering them to 247 at Bernie Regan Sports Ground.The Cavaliers slumped to 3-57 and apart from opener Adam Ison's 70 and Nathan Barr's 40, no batter got going and they fell well short on 176.In the other game, Bomaderry thumped Albion Park, who were bowled out for 178 despite 66 from captain Keegan Campion at the top of the order.The Tigers bit back with a 103-run opening stand between captain Kealen Blattner (66) and Rhys Burinaga (71 not out) and reached the target with more than 20 overs and six wickets up their sleeve.Lake Illawarra and Shellharbour are the only unbeaten teams after three rounds with the Rats, Park and Ex Servos still searching for their first victory.

Hawks need to rebound after Phoenix flogging
Hawks need to rebound after Phoenix flogging

23 October 2025, 11:00 PM

Illawarra’s NBL title defence is looking shaky after the Hawks dropped back to the bottom of the ladder on the back of last Saturday’s 116-76 thumping at the hands of South East Melbourne at John Cain Arena.To make matters worse, they were brought undone by a former club junior with Angus Glover notching a career-high 26 points after a blistering 23-point effort in the first half.Glover drained seven of his eight three-point attempts in the opening two quarters as the Phoenix streaked away from the Hawks, who have now lost four of their first five games."We won all four quarters - that was my favourite part,” Phoenix coach Josh King said."We stayed consistent throughout the game and didn't have any slippage or let-up."Star import JaVale McGee led the way for Illawarra with 22 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks, including a swat on a three-point attempt by Jordan Hunter."We walk away very disappointed," Hawks captain Tyler Harvey said."As players it's our job to perform on the court and we didn't do it tonight."This league is tough. If you come out lax, you're going to get your butt kicked."Illawarra led 16-13 early but Glover’s hot hand put the Phoenix in front 30-23 by the end of the first term.The Phoenix scored 16 unanswered points as part of a 22-2 run on the way to jumping out to a 66-40 advantage by half-time.Illawarra were unable to make any headway in the third quarter and after trailing 83-52 at the end of the three quarter, both teams went through the motions in the final term with the result never in question.The Hawks face another difficult assignment in their bid to get their season back on track when they fly to Perth for the second time in the space of a few weeks for a Saturday night showdown with the Wildcats, who have won three of their opening six matches.Illawarra return to the WIN Entertainment Centre next Friday for a Halloween fixture against the New Zealand Breakers before jetting off to Adelaide on Sunday to take on the 36ers.

Young guns fire Cavettes to huge win
Young guns fire Cavettes to huge win

23 October 2025, 6:00 AM

Young guns Ebony Winston and Ava Sloan starred as the Kiama Cavettes completed a perfect start to their South Coast Cricket women’s first-grade campaign at Bonaira Oval last Friday.Cavettes skipper Brooklyn Brown sent Shellharbour into bat and a combination of energetic fielding and tight bowling kept runs to a minimum.Winston, Phoebe Glaessner, Emma Ford, Brielle Cleary and Amanda Cleary were among the wickets as Shellharbour were held to 5-135 from their 20 overs. Sloan and Winston opened up in the run-chase and were hurtling along at more than 10 runs an over.They each hit a six and kept the scores flowing to reel in the target in just the 12th over without a wicket falling.Winston finished on 71 not out and Ava was unbeaten on 37 as they recorded the highest Cavettes partnership on record. In the other matches, Tahlia Pracy and Anne Boatswain each scored 51 as the Ratatouilles beat the Ratettes by 16 runs in the clash between the two Oak Flats sides.Ex Servos (1-85) thrashed Kiama (5-82) and the Kookas (0-95) did likewise to Lake Illawarra (9-94) with Jennifer Kitchen bagging 3-9 with the ball.In the men’s competition, Kiama scraped home with just two overs to spare to beat Oak Flats by four wickets at Geoff Shaw Oval.The Rats made 7-197 with opener Kip Penfold top-scoring with 85 but the Cavaliers managed to hand the home side their second straight nail-biting loss with Ryan Butta (69) and captain Jaya Hartgerink (42) doing the bulk of the scoring.Hyeon Parsons smashed a brilliant 173 to lead North Nowra Cambewarra to victory over the Kookas at Oakleigh Park.Parsons belted 17 fours and cleared the boundary rope nine times, speeding along at a strike rate higher than 160 in his 108-ball whirlwind.None of the Kookas bowlers were spared from his onslaught - veteran all-rounder Craig Bramble was the best of a badly beaten bunch, finishing with 3-62 from six overs.Even after Parsons was out stumped, his teammates kept the runs flowing with Elijah Guyatt (48), captain Nathan Thomas (40) and Blake Horton (42) making handy contributions in the imposing total of 9-401.Lake Illawarra remained undefeated after thrashing Ex Servos by 115 runs at Howard Fowles Oval.Jackson Ingram blasted 19 fours and a six to record a century with his 109 coming from just 62 deliveries.Jake O’Connell hit 10 boundaries in his 68 and Noah McWilliams added an unbeaten 48 as the Lakers were bowled out inside 43 overs with Ex Servos skipper Andrew Wilson (4-44) keeping them in check. But the visitors collapsed to be 7-58 and never recovered, all out for 120 with Ryan Smith’s 3-25 the best of the Lake bowlers.

Record numbers expected for Huskisson Run and Triathlon weekend
Record numbers expected for Huskisson Run and Triathlon weekend

21 October 2025, 12:00 AM

Run Huskisson and the Huskisson Triathlon are set to attract more than 7500 runners and triathletes to the stunning coastal town on the first weekend of November.With the run scheduled for next Friday (November 1) and the triathlon the following day, Elite Energy has crafted an action-packed, back-to-back weekend for endurance enthusiasts.“We’re especially excited this year - it looks like the Husky Triathlon will sell out for the first time ever, with about 2,000 athletes registered. That’s a huge milestone for us,” said Elite Energy marketing specialist Shinead Roulstone.“Run Huskisson is also shaping up to be another sell-out for the second year running, with similar numbers to last year. We’re honestly overjoyed by the community response.”Roulstone credits the popularity of both events to the breathtaking beauty of the Jervis Bay coastline.“You just can’t beat Huskisson - and really, Jervis Bay in general. It’s a stunning location with white sand beaches and a welcoming community. It’s the perfect base for exploring the Shoalhaven,” she said.Triathletes approaching the water in the Husky Triathlon. Photo: D&A JorgensonShe also highlighted the economic benefits the events bring to the local community and its small businesses.“What we’re seeing is people come for the race but stay for a family holiday. On average, each travel party includes about 2.3 people, so it’s not just athletes - it’s families, partners, and friends. That brings a huge boost to local tourism,” she said.“And with running booming and people more enthusiastic than ever about triathlon, it’s the perfect combination: a beautiful destination and the chance to challenge yourself.”According to Roulstone, the reach of the events extends far beyond NSW.“We have a loyal group of people who attend all our Huskisson events - whether it’s the tri or the run. But now we’re also attracting a much broader audience, including many from interstate - Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia - and even New Zealand. Around 7.5% of participants are from outside NSW,” she said.To help athletes get to the event safely and efficiently, Elite Energy has organised free shuttle buses.Multiple free parking areas are available across Vincentia, Woollamia, and Moona Moona Reserve, with shuttle routes running directly to Event HQ - three routes from Vincentia and one from Woollamia.“This should really ease congestion and make getting to the start line smooth and stress-free,” said Roulstone.Participants are reminded that, while the Run Huskisson course follows much of the coastal path, there will be changed traffic conditions. For the triathlon, impacts have been carefully condensed to minimise disruption.Full event and transport details are available at: Run Huskisson and Huskisson Triathlon.

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