HAWKS import Marvelle Harris made a statement of intent to the NBL, as the Illawarra have the chance to finish the pre-season tournament with a perfect record on Monday night.
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Harris finished with 19 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists as Illawarra finished dominant 98-77 winners over bitter rivals Perth in Brisbane.
It was the swingman’s first quarter blitz which set the tone, Harris scoring 11 points as the Hawks raced to a 37-19 lead, after some scorching shooting from outside the arc. Perth stormed back to within five in the third quarter, but the Hawks responsed against their long-time bogey team.
The Hawks now play Melbourne United on Monday night, with a chance to finish the Australian Basketball Challenge with a perfect record, after thrashing China’s Zhejiang Golden Bulls on Friday.
The former NBL MVP Rotnei Clarke, who started on the bench, as coach Rob Beveridge experiments with combinations for the upcoming season, was also outstanding with 17 points.
The Hawks scored 18 three-pointers, with captain Oscar Forman nailing four from outside on the way to 13 points and three rebounds in almost 13 minutes of game time. Cody Ellis scored 16 points, while Tim Coenraad had nine rebounds.
The Hawks remain $14 outsiders to win the NBL championship this season, despite their impressive pre-season campaign, as Harris and big man Mike Holyfield make an impact.
Their first NBL season game is against Adelaide on October 7.
Tim Barrow
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
