Illawarra had led by double digits at half time, but fell behind at stages during the second half before fighting back to secure their third win of the season at WIN Entertainment Centre.

The win boosts them to 3-5 for the campaign, but doesn’t move them off the bottom of the ladder.

“I think this was an enormous character win for us,” Beveridge said.

“We know we have got our backs to the wall. There is a lot of external pressure going on and I know how close we are yet so far away. People keep reminding us we are in last place but we don’t worry about that because I know we aren’t for off the pace.”

Former Townsville duo Mitch Norton (13 points and six assists) and Nick Kay (15 points and five rebounds) were the Hawks’ best. 

Import Rotnei Clarke also had a stronger showing with 14 points against a United side playing without Chris Goulding and Todd Blanchfield. Ex-Hawk David Andersen was superb in their absence with a game-high 23 points to go with eight rebounds. Eight on those points came in the first quarter as he and Marvelle Harris traded blows.

Harris, who left the match late with an ankle injury showed what he can do at both ends with a classy lay-up and a couple of steals before getting in foul trouble. Former Illawarra development player Kyle Adnam kept United in touch in the shadows of the first break to have the visitors trailing 21-20.

It took five minutes of the second quarter for Melbourne to open their account again and it came from the charity stripe through import Devin Williams as the Hawks opened up a double digit lead. Melbourne’s frustration grew when Cedric Jackson copped a technical foul for dissent before coach Dean Demopoulos followed his point guard’s lead just before the break when he argued with officials over a travel call on Adnam.  

It sent Clarke to the line who sunk a free throw to have Illawarra 41-30 in front at the main change.

Ramone Moore started the third quarter on fire, with seven straight points to have United back in the game before they knew it. Andersen cut the lead to one point with two more from the charity stripe and when Jackson hit two more they led 44-43 on the back of a 14-2 run to start the quarter. Illawarra fought back to lead 53-50 at the final break, but had that quickly slashed by an Andersen treble early in the fourth.

A basket high off the glass from Norton gave the hosts a buffer and when he hit one from downtown they were 69-60 ahead.

Andersen kept chipping away for United, but the advantage proved a winning one as Illawarra kept their cool to run out nine point victors.  It was Melbourne’s second loss in three days as they slipped to 3-5.

“Between the turnovers and the discrepancy in the amount of foul shots it is hard to overcome,” United coach Dean Demopoulos said.