Clarke was replaced in the starting line-up by hard-nosed guard Kevin White for the second match of Illawarra’s double header against New Zealand, with Cody Ellis also coming in for Nick Kay.

The change helped the Hawks overturn a 15-point defeat on Friday night across the ditch into a massive 109-78 triumph at WIN Entertainment Centre.

Clarke put in his best performance of the season in the win with 22 points (10/17) while White helped keep Breakers star Kirk Penney locked down on the afternoon.

Kay also relished his role with 17 points in 18 minutes off the bench. 

"I think it worked well for us,” Beveridge said.

"I think when we set the tone early it gets us in the game. When you are bringing Rotnei off the bench, in a way it is tag team wrestling.

"We have buttered them up just a little bit to take some of the defensive energy off them which can free Rotty up.

"When Rhys [Martin] comes into the game, he is a very, very good point guard. Very smart so he can run the program.

"Here you have got two guys that come in and play their guts out.

“Now we can just rotate guys in and out."

A defensively minded guard, White was able to work in tandem with Mitch Norton to keep Penney and Corey Webster quiet. 

Penney had just nine points from 3-11 while Webster had five points (2-12)

"We have always wanted to use [Norton and White] as tag team but we actually haven't done it together,” Beveridge said.

“I think tonight it worked really well for us.”

"Our previous two games teams have gone off on us and it is too hard to play catch up.

"We were lucky to get Adelaide, no chance coming back against New Zealand trying to make up such a huge margin.

"We had to make same changes, there is no question about it.

"We needed everyone contributing.”

Illawarra were locked in a grind early in their 31-point success, but as the game went on they continued to expand on their advantage.

White put it down to Illawarra’s defensive pressure.

"It is not so much about being in the first quarter, building a lead or maintaining and pushing it out. It is about building that pressure that slowly grinds team down and players down,” he said.

"It is hard for guys to play 30-something minutes and be constantly dogged up the floor.

"And then have to come off down picks.

"We attacked Kirk defensively and I think he struggled a little bit. 

"That was all about the pressure we maintained so if we can come back next week going into Perth, it is not an easy place to play so it is going to be a lot tougher to come out.”

Illawarra meet Perth next Sunday.