Wollongong coach Gordie McLeod applauded his team's unwavering resilience after Tuesday night's 12-point win over Perth levelled the NBL grand final series 1-1.
The Hawks were out of sorts at the offensive end throughout the first half of game two, before finding their groove with a 58 per cent shooting clip over the final two quarters.
Down by a point at half-time, Wollongong were confident they had the Wildcats within reach.
PIC GALLERY: All the action from WIN Entertainment Centre Full coverage of the Wollongong Hawks "The good thing was we were in the trenches at the defensive end of the floor and that was so critical for us to come out and get them into a half-court grind," McLeod said of his side's ability to stay with the Cats in a dour first half.
Perth made just 31 per cent of their shots after half-time and struggled to cope with their opponents' stifling defence.
He said the Hawks' strong character and will to win came to the fore at crunch time.
"It doesn't matter how many times they get kicked down or get their noses pushed in the dirt.
"All year this team just keeps finding stuff.
"They've got a great attitude to bounce back and come out and play.
"It's just been such a joy to be involved with a group of guys that have such a fantastic work ethic.
"They're very much together and they're very much about the team.
"They care a lot about each other and they play as a team," McLeod said.
The Hawks were always confident of squaring the series and forcing a deciding third game.
Tomorrow night they will be back in the hostile surrounds of Perth's Challenge Stadium, shooting for the club's second title in its 32-year history.
Virtually nothing separates the sides, with Perth winning game one 75-64 on their home court and the Hawks prevailing 75-63 in game two at Wollongong.
It is only fitting that the NBL's closest season on record has come down to a winner-take-all showdown between the league's top two teams.
"You get another crack at it, that's what it's all about," McLeod said.
"If we wanted to win a championship we knew we had to win one in Perth. We couldn't get it done in the first game, but the guys found a way to get it done at home and now we get another crack over in Perth."
The Hawks left Sydney in high spirits on a Perth-bound flight last night.
"Recovery is so important right now," McLeod said.
"It'll be the third game in a week against these guys and we need to make another evaluation and make some adjustments. If we bring to the table what we brought (in game two), we're going to be very competitive and give ourselves a chance."
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