Olbrich stars again as Hawks keep winning

Fresh off a tantalising battle with Aron Baynes, rising big man Lachlan Olbrich was again outstanding for the Illawarra Hawks to close the NBL Blitz in Friday's 108-90 win over the shorthanded Cairns Taipans.

Olbrich has elected to put his faith in the NBL this season at the Hawks after a year at college at UC Riverside and based on what he's delivered on the Gold Coast this week, he's only going to keep rising up draft boards in NBL24.

The final day at the Blitz started with a full strength Hawks up against a Taipans team missing their imports and Bul Kuol, but it was the Snakes started the game in the most spectacular of ways.

They got underway with two dunks from Akoldah Gak against his former team, including one to start off from the alley-oop pass from Taran Armstrong, and then another nice finish on the break from Next Star Bobi Klintman.

That gave Cairns the first six points of the contest but the Hawks took charge from there beginning with three-point bombs from Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, Tyler Harvey and AJ Johnson.

Hyunjung Lee then got in on the fun before Todd Blanchfield closed the quarter with two of his own from beyond the arc and Illawarra was up 30-17 despite having conceded those first six points.

The Hawks maintained that edge through the second quarter with another 28 points to 23 to go into the half leading 58-40, and while the result was never seriously in doubt in the second half, it didn’t stop the highlights or both teams taking plenty out of it.

That included a thunderous throwdown with five minutes to go from Lat Mayen which Biwali Bayles likely regretted trying to contest.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Back-to-back threes finish the quarter ??<br><br>Watch every game live &amp; free via Kayo Freebies ?<br><br>Outside Australia? Watch via ?? <a href="https://t.co/8LoWsbRFtC">https://t.co/8LoWsbRFtC</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/playgoldcoast?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#playgoldcoast</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/destgc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@destgc</a> <a href="https://t.co/NNlTRFLpif">pic.twitter.com/NNlTRFLpif</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1705125384264794514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Alex Mudronja also threw an alley-oop pass for Gak to finish in the dying stages, but it was the Hawks who won by 18 in the finish with Lachlan Olbrich again a standout showing what a breakout NBL24 season he's ready for.

Olbrich again top-scored with 18 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals with Tyler Harvey adding 16 points, three boards and three assists, and Hyunjung Lee 15 points on 4/5 from three-point range. 

Todd Blanchfield is readying for his return to the Hawks this season and hit 4/6 from deep for 14 points while Gary Clark contributed nine points, five rebounds and four assists, and Sam Froling eight points, four boards and two blocks.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gak makin&#39; it look EASY with the throw down! ?<br><br>? <a href="https://twitter.com/CairnsTaipans?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CairnsTaipans</a> | ? <a href="https://twitter.com/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@espn</a> <a href="https://t.co/ELaYe8OnSd">pic.twitter.com/ELaYe8OnSd</a></p>&mdash; Cairns Taipans (@CairnsTaipans) <a href="https://twitter.com/CairnsTaipans/status/1705119588709781722?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It was a Cairns team minus Patrick Miller, Josh Roberts, Tahjere McCall and Bul Kuol, but there was plenty to take from it especially with what Akoldah Gak provided with 21 points on 8/8 shooting including a string of throwdowns.

Lat Mayen is fresh off a strong NBL1 South season at the Bendigo Braves and he delivered 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists with Sam Mennenga contributing 10 points and three boards, and Lachlan Anderson nine points after finding his feet back in the country at the Cairns Marlins in the NBL1 North.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just WOW, Lat Mayen ?<br><br>Watch every game live &amp; free via Kayo Freebies ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/playgoldcoast?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#playgoldcoast</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/destgc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@destgc</a> <a href="https://t.co/puNi9y3Cvm">pic.twitter.com/puNi9y3Cvm</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1705139631199772687?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Both teams now turn their focus to the opening round of NBL24 which will see them play next Saturday with the Taipans on the road to the New Zealand Breakers while the Hawks host the reigning champion Sydney Kings.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL BLITZ

ILLAWARRA HAWKS 108 (Olbrich 18, Harvey 16, Lee 15)
CAIRNS TAIPANS 90 (Gak 21, Mayen 18, Mennenga 10) 

BOX SCORE