The Hawks have known for a month they can’t make the playoffs and had nothing to lose against their more fancied opponents.

Fifth-placed Melbourne had to win to keep their final four prospects alive but lost to the competition’s last-placed team for the second time in eight days.

Down by one early in the second quarter, Wollongong grabbed a lead they never relinquished.

Melbourne threatened to steal the visitors’ thunder with a fourth-quarter comeback, but the Hawks held their nerve.

Rhys Martin (19 points), Larry Davidson (16) and Gary Ervin (nine points, seven assists) were superb, particularly when the game was tight in crunch time.

Oscar Forman tallied nine points and eight rebounds, while Jahii Carson and Luke Nevill combined for 19 points.

Wollongong’s win was just their fifth of the season.

‘‘Probably the biggest compliment you can pay our team this year is that we haven’t given up,’’ Davidson said.

‘‘It’s been a horrible year since the start of the season, but we’ve had some really close losses, and we’re finally starting to learn from that and now we’re getting some results.

‘‘To come out and have a good game and have a good win was awesome.’’

American forward Jordan McRae led Melbourne with 19 points, Daniel Kickert had 13, while Nate Tomlinson and Stephen Dennis finished with 12 apiece.

Wollongong made 50.8 per cent of their shots and grabbed 32 rebounds. Melbourne shot the ball at 40 per cent and had 29 rebounds.

Davidson was the go-to man in the early minutes, scoring his team’s first six points.

Wollongong held a 7-2 lead before the home side hit back with a 16-4 run.

The Hawks kept their cool, chipping away to trail 21-18 at quarter-time.

Ervin had seven points, while Tomlinson was also up to seven.

Baskets by Adam Ballinger and Carson put Wollongong up by a point, providing a springboard for a dominant second-quarter performance.

While their offence was hardly a thing of beauty, the Hawks’ defence restricted Melbourne to six points in the period.

They managed to find 18 points of their own to take a well-earned 36-27 lead into half-time.

A nervous-looking Melbourne connected on just 7/28 shots, while their opponents hit 16/35.

The Hawks would’ve led by more if they hadn’t missed four of their six free throw attempts.

Ervin was typically productive with nine points, three assists and two rebounds. Carson had eight points, while Davidson and Forman combined for 11.

Tomlinson had nine points and McRae racked up seven points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals.

The scoring pace picked up in the third period, as Melbourne tried to reduce the deficit.

Wollongong answered the challenge, sharing the workload at both ends of the floor and taking a 12-point lead into the final quarter.

The margin grew to 14 when Brad Hill knocked in two free throws, but Melbourne rallied and closed the gap to six with five minutes remaining.

Tim Coenraad hit a key shot and found Davidson under the basket on the next possession to restore Wollongong’s double-digit lead.

Melbourne made one last run to try and save their season, but the Hawks would not be denied, as Martin’s clutch free throws sealed a rare victory.

The Hawks take on the Kings in Sydney next weekend.