The 84-78 defeat was their second straight loss on their home floor and came despite a late-game surge that put what would have been a stunning comeback victory within reach.

The hosts trailed by as much as 16 and were down 12 at the half after managing just two points in the first six and half minutes of the second term.

Demitrius Conger finished the quarter with a gritty eight points and put his team on his back down the stretch as the Hawks remarkably hit the front with seven minutes to play.

It wasn’t enough however with Casper Ware, cold to that point, waking from a three-quarter slumber to produce 13 points in the fourth term as the visitors held on the win.

Conger finished with an impressive 20 points six rebounds and four assists, while fellow import Rotnei Clarke had 18 points and Cody Ellis had 12 on a night where the bench combined for 33 points.

Ware closed the show, but it was United’s inside arsenal that did the early damage, with the Hawks finding no answer for Josh Boone and Tai Wesley in the low block.

Boone had 20 points and nine rebounds while Wesley had 17 points and six boards as Melbourne out-scored the hosts 26-10 in the paint in the first half.

The win was soured for United by the loss of star import Casey Prather, who suffered a dislocated elbow midway through the second term as he scrambled for a loose ball.

Big-screen replays of the incident brought a collective groan from the crowd and looks likely to see Dean Vickerman without one of his biggest guns for an extended period.

It leaves the Hawks 5-9 for the season and staring down the barrel of three straight home defeats when they host league-leaders Perth at the WEC next Saturday.

Boone had four quick points before breaking a sweat to get the visitors under way before Clarke hit his first triple to open the Hawks account.

Wesley added six points and finished the quarter with eight, while Boone also had eight for the term. The lead swelled to double figures when Goulding hit his first three forcing Beveridge into a timout.

It had the desired effect with the Hawks second unit firing for 19 points with Tim Coenraad, Rhys Martin and Ellis all hitting triples to get back within two.

Wesley and Andersen both went two of two from the foul-line to take a four-point buffer to the first break. Boone again dropped the first four points to start the second  quarter, sparking a 14-2 run as the lead swelled to 16.

United lost Prather midway through the term, but not the momentum, with Boone adding 11 more points and Goulding dropping two threes for 11 points at the half.

Conger played a virtual lone hand for the hosts in the second with eight points, a lone free-throw from Delvon Johnson the only other Hawks point for the term until Clarke nailed three from the line 14 seconds before the main break.

The game slowed dramatically in the third with clock issues seeing the match delayed. Momentum started to turn towards the hosts after the resumption with timely threes from Oscar Forman and Ellis pegging back the margin.

The frustration was evident for United, with coach Dean Vickerman hit with a technical, allowing Conger to close the term with three points and get his side within five at the last interval.

Conger exploded out of the break with an assist for Johnson and then a three to draw level at 61 apiece. Conger also hit the next bucket to give the Hawks their first lead of the match and a sniff of victory.

Goulding steadied the ship with a three and Boone added four more as United regained the lead before Ware stepped up and closed the show with 13 points down the stretch.