JackJumpers shoot the lights out to beat Hawks

The Tasmania JackJumpers will never forget their first ever game against the Illawarra Hawks, delivering a shooting barrage for the ages to leave Wollongong with the inspiring 96-86 victory.

The JackJumpers were playing both their first ever NBL game at the WIN Entertainment Centre and overall against the Hawks, and the end result is going to be one to treasure.

Tasmania put on a shooting display from three-point range that equalled most triples made in a 40-minute NBL game, knocking down 22/42 from beyond the arc and that was critical in the eventual 10-point win.

It wasn’t the only thing behind the JackJumpers win though. They managed to outrebound Illawarra 45 to 30, including 17 offensive boards for 16 second chance points.

The three-point shooting was just remarkable and Josh Adams was unstoppable. He went 8/11 from beyond the arc on his way to 28 points, four rebounds and four assists.

He wasn’t alone. Sam McDaniel produced 20 points and five rebounds while connecting on all four of his three-point attempts with Josh Magette making 4/8 from deep on his way to 16 points and five assists.

Captain Clint Steindl hit three of his own from downtown for nine points and five rebounds with Jack McVeigh hitting the first two of the night for 12 points and seven boards.

MiKyle McIntosh knocked down a three too and finished with seven points, six rebounds and three assists while Matt Kenyon added four points and four rebounds.

In the aftermath of the win, JackJumpers coach Scott Roth admitted that Hawks counterpart Brian Goorjian had reached out to him before the season tipped off when the stress levels were at their highest.

"I respect Goorj, his career, all that he has done. When I was crashing and burning a few months ago, before the season started, he was the coach that reached out," Roth said.

"We had a long chat about staying positive at the beginning of the season and to not go home. I really want to thank him for that, he is a hell of a man."

On the JackJumpers, Roth was not interested in entertaining the NBL ladder or records that had been broken. It remains a game-by-game prospective for his side.

"We have never talked about the ladder, where we are, who we ahead of, other than the next game. That is our mindset," he said.

"It is about building culture in this first year, getting the right guys to represent the state of Tasmania the right way, put a product on the floor that we can be proud of. We will see what happens when all is said and done. We will have a swing at everyone and play as hard as we possibly can."

Duop Reath was the best of the Hawks with 25 points and eight rebounds with Antonius Cleveland adding 20 points.

It was far from the ideal opening to the game for the JackJumpers with the Hawks scoring the opening five points, but the three-point barrage that was to come then began when Jack McVeigh hit two from deep in quick succession.

Illawarra again responded with the next nine points but the JackJumpers were staying in touch thanks to their shooting with deep, with Josh Magette and Josh Adams both knocking one down.

Captain Clint Steindl and Sam McDaniel then also knocked one from deep down apiece before quarter-time but the Hawks were on top 22-20.

Eventually the shooting assault saw Tasmania take the lead less than a minute into the second period with Steindl hitting a second for the game. McDaniel soon added his second, then a third and a fourth either side of Magette and Adams also connecting on three-pointers.

A couple of finishes at the rim from McVeigh and McDaniel then ensured Tasmania were up 46-43 at the half-time break.

The JackJumpers then began to blow the game wide open to start the second half beginning with MiKyle McIntosh joining the three-point party. Magette and Adams then added another each, and when Matt Kenyon capitalised on a steal for the breakaway finish, the Tasmania lead was out to 14.

That got out to 15 with Adams connecting on another triple and still by three quarter-time, the visitors were on top by 10.

There were a few nervous scares during the fourth quarter with the Hawks trying to make a charge, but they couldn’t get any closer than six points after an Antonius Cleveland dunk with three minutes to go.

The JackJumpers had all the answers and went on to win by 10 to ensure their first ever game both against the Hawks and in Wollongong will be one to treasure.

The JackJumpers remain on the road to take on the Bullets in Brisbane on Saturday before returning home to host the Perth Wildcats on Monday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 12

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 96 (Adams 28, McDaniel 20, Magette 16) 

ILLAWARRA HAWKS 86 (Reath 25, Cleveland 20, Rathan-Mayes 12)

BOX SCORE