TWENTY-FOUR hours after a courageous near-miss against Cairns, a listless Wollongong Hawks were mauled by the Crocodiles on Sunday night in Townsville.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Hawks were hoping their north Queensland trip would be the springboard that launched them back into contention.
But the 107-75 thrashing from the Crocodiles and Saturday’s 69-65 loss to Cairns left their finals hopes in tatters.
If that isn’t bad enough, Wollongong’s 11-straight losses represents the worst streak by any team in the club’s 35-year history. The previous mark was nine, set by the 2010-11 side.
Hawks coach Gordie McLeod won’t stop trying to find the words and tactics to keep his side believing a top four finish is not out of the question.
But with the season nearing the halfway stage, the outlook is bleak. Perhaps the goal now is simply to avoid finishing last.
Only one other Hawks side has that dubious honour - the 1997 team which won seven of 30 games.
Defence was almost non-existent for Wollongong against Townsville, while the usual lack of chemistry was apparent at the offensive end.
Jahii Carson finished with a team-high 18 points for the Hawks and Tim Coenraad added 14.
The Crocs made a sizzling 59 per cent of their shots and had seven players scoring in double figures, led by Todd Blanchfield’s 22.
A promising start quickly faded, as the Crocs scored 12 unanswered points to lead 16-5 after five minutes.
The Crocs made no secret of their plans to push the ball, no doubt believing the Hawks would be leg-weary from the previous night’s battle with the Taipans.
Hawks guard Rhys Martin entered the contest and scored his team’s next five points, but Townsville answered with another surge and held a 23-17 lead at quarter-time.
Wollongong re-grouped and pulled to within a point early in the second period, only to fall asleep again and allow the margin to swell to 12.
And that is precisely when the contest ended. Townsville had little trouble building a 52-34 half-time lead and the game was as good as over.
The Hawks made just 39 per cent of their shots in the half and allowed their opponents to light up at 60 per cent. They were also dominated under the boards 21-11.
Wollongong showed no signs of mounting a comeback, as the Crocs cruised to an unassailable 29-point lead at three-quarter time.
The Hawks will head back to the drawing board on the training court before squaring off again with Townsville this Friday at WIN Entertainment Centre.