Harry's Eight Threes Lead Hawks to Bounce Back Win

The most remarkable of career-best shooting performances from Harry Froling has helped Illawarra Hawks return to form in #NBL22, beating Adelaide 36ers 100-89 in Wollongong on Monday night.

With the Hawks coming off back-to-back losses to Melbourne United and the Perth Wildcats, coach Brian Goorjian called out his team's defensive struggles. While giving up 89 points was a few too many still, their offence was unstoppable.

Not only did Harry Froling have the night of his 108-game NBL career as he became the first player this season to hit eight threes, going 8/10 from deep for a career-high 27 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals, it was far from a one man show.

Afterwards, Froling paid tribute to coach Brian Goorjian for helping get the best out of him.

"This is probably the most fun I've had playing basketball. I'm still figuring it out along the way and am taking it day to day, and enjoying my basketball," Goorjian said. 

"I think that speaks for myself and whether I'm doing well or poorly, Goorj is on me about my stuff on the court and off the court, and I think that's really helping me evolve as a person and player. Obviously that translates onto the court and I'm going to stick through it with the highs and lows."

Younger brother Sam also had 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists while Tyler Harvey shot the ball well going 8/13 from the floor and 3/5 from downtown for 19 points and five assists.

Antonius Cleveland added 14 points and five rebounds too while Tim Coenraad knocked down three triples for nine points as the Hawks got the bounce back win in style.

It was a game where the 36ers were always playing catch up in with Sunday Dech the standout with 20 points on the back of hitting 6/10 from beyond the arc.

Todd Withers added 15 points, Daniel Johnson 10 to go with eight rebounds and three assists, and Kai Sotto 12 points and five boards in the best game of his budding NBL career.

Sixers coach CJ Bruton lamented his team giving up 16 turnovers from which the Hawks scored 30 points as the biggest factor in the result.

"It's not about the defence, if you turn the ball over that many times in this league, clearly that costs you," Bruton said. 

"We gave up 30 points off turnovers so it's not on the defensive end, part of that comes to D-trans, but if you turn it over it can kick your butt and tonight was one of those nights. It's all about teaching them how to pass and catch, get open, make good leads and all the basics that you teach kids growing up.

"But there's a mental mindset and application that goes with that, and I probably need to do a better job of recognising when guys get fatigued to get them out. There's a certain level of playing in the NBL that is required by us to be successful in this space and we haven’t quite got to that level consistently enough through these first six or seven games."

Todd Withers gave the Sixers the perfect start with a steal and breakaway dunk. Sunday Dech then hit a three too and Adelaide couldn't have asked to open up better. But the Hawks soon found their groove beginning with five quick points to Antonius Cleveland.

Harry Froling then got on the floor to hit his first three of the night and by quarter-time, the home team held a 23-19 advantage.

Duop Reath, before going off having copped an elbow to his hip, and Sam Froling then extended Illawarra's lead to eight to start the second term before Adelaide shot themselves back into the contest thanks to threes from Withers and Dech.

It then became the Harry Froling show. In a remarkable spurt, he knocked down four three-pointers in the matter of minutes to help the Hawks to lead by 15.

However, to Adelaide's credit starting with an 8-0 run and then with Daniel Johnson hitting a pair of triples, they cut Illawarra's lead to five by half-time.

It didn’t take long for the Hawks to stretch their lead back out to double-figures with Harvey hitting from downtown. Then Tim Coenraad hit his 400th career three, Harry Froling nailed his sixth triple of the night and it was a 19-point ball game.

Coenraad and Harvey nailed threes as well heading to three quarter-time with Illawarra up 22. Then when Adelaide had managed to make it a 15-point game, Harry Froling shut the door once and for all.

He drilled his seventh and eighth threes of the night as the lead ballooned to 23 before Dech and Withers hit a couple more triples apiece for Adelaide to help bring the final margin back to 11.

The Hawks remain at home to try and earn a measure of revenge on the Perth Wildcats on Thursday while the 36ers head to Hobart to play the Tasmania JackJumpers on Friday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 8

ILLAWARRA HAWKS 100 (H Froling 27, Harvey 19, S Froling 18)

ADELAIDE 36ERS 89 (Dech 20, Withers 15, Sotto 12) 

BOX SCORE