Disappointed as he was to lose another close one on Sunday, Wollongong coach Gordie McLeod was a happy man after Friday night’s 93-82 home win over Melbourne.
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The Hawks grabbed more rebounds than their opponents, dished out more assists and shot the ball more accurately.
They were locked into their defensive assignments for most of the night, despite being out-scored 33-17 in the fourth quarter.
Wollongong lost by three to Cairns on Sunday, but McLeod said Friday’s win was a rare bright spot in his side’s bleak season.
‘‘It’s great for our fans. They were very happy,’’ he said.
‘‘They’ve been so supportive and it’s great to give them something to cheer about. Hopefully we can give them a little bit more.’’
Melbourne will be seeking revenge when they host the Hawks on Saturday night.
Wollongong led from start to finish last Friday, playing their best game of the season.
‘‘It was really pleasing. Our defence and rebounding was very good early and we did a very good job of capitalising on that,’’ McLeod said.
‘‘We got a good balance of getting on the rim for lay-ups and finding shooters, and that allowed us to build some pressure. We did it at the start and we did it in the third quarter. Obviously the last quarter was a bit tougher with them trapping and getting after us, and it really made it into a scrap-fest. They were always going to make a run at some stage.
‘‘The really pleasing thing was doing a really good job defensively for three quarters and built that lead. They made that run in the fourth, but it’s very pleasing to see the guys get some reward for the hard work they put in.’’
