Illawarra Hawks Overcome JackJumpers in Commanding 109-76 Win

The Illawarra Hawks showcased their firepower at home, defeating the Tasmania JackJumpers 109-76 at the WIN Entertainment Centre on Saturday. Despite a strong effort, Tasmania struggled to keep pace with the Hawks' offensive intensity.

Illawarra took an early lead, starting the game with a 12-2 run. By halftime, they extended their advantage to 57-39, benefiting from their dominance on the boards and converting 18 JackJumpers turnovers into 24 points. Illawarra continued to pull away in the third quarter, holding a 32-point margin by the close.

The Hawks controlled the paint throughout, scoring 64 points and securing 21 offensive rebounds, resulting in 18 second-chance points. Tyler Harvey led the way with 19 points, while Sam Froling added 21 points and five rebounds. Darius Days contributed with 15 points and nine rebounds, bolstering Illawarra's efforts on both ends of the court.

Jordon Crawford top-scored for the JackJumpers with 19 points, including four from beyond the arc. Will Magnay provided 11 points and four assists, while Majok Deng added 10 points and three steals off the bench. Despite these contributions, Tasmania found themselves outmatched on the glass and struggled with their shooting consistency.

Reflecting on the loss, Head Coach Scott Roth commented, “Congratulations to them. They played with energy and effort that we didn’t even come close to matching—they were all over us for four quarters and played fantastic basketball. But this is game five, and we have 25 more to go. We’re a work in progress, and we’ll keep our heads up, get back to Tassie, and focus on getting back to what we do well.”

The JackJumpers will now aim to regroup as they prepare to host the Sydney Kings next Friday at Launceston.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2024/25

ILLAWARRA HAWKS 109 (Froling 21, Harvey 19, Days 15, Hickey 15)

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 76 (Crawford 19, Magnay 11, Deng 10)

BOX SCORE