The hardest away trip in the NBL only got tougher for the Illawarra Hawks on Saturday.
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Less than 24 hours after falling 123-122 to Melbourne United in a near three hour marathon, the Hawks were forced to jump on a flight west to take on NBL powerhouse Perth Wildcats.
The West Australian capital has been far from a happy hunting ground for the Hawks in recent times.
Illawarra have won just once at Perth Arena in more than a decade.
On Sunday, they'll return to one of the most hostile playing environments in the competition still recovering from a heartbreaking loss in the longest match in NBL history.
"It is going to be incredibly difficult there is no question," Hawks coach Rob Beveridge said.
“It is a challenge. We are not going into Perth thinking, 'oh yeah poor us, we've just lost in four over times'.
"We are travelling five or six hours over there and whatever else. It is what it is and we are going to do our best to get the bodies right.
"We are going to turn up on Sunday afternoon and give our absolute best."
Beveridge admitted the club's medical staff had a task ahead to help his squad get their bodies right before their second round one test.
Boomers representative Todd Blanchfield, who scored a game high 26 points, suffered an ankle injury late in the match and was one of several players left battered and bruised after Friday's encounter.
"That is why [Blanchfield] couldn't be [at the press conference] because we have got him in an ice bucket," Beveridge confirmed.
"The medical staff are going to treat him now and probably before we fly out.
"It is going to be a massive challenge jumping on the plane. You will probably get swelling but he is not the only one."
What Beveridge knows he can rely on in Perth is the character of his troops.
The Hawks should grit and determination throughout their clash with United to send the match to a dramatic fourth overtime period.
"That is what we are trying to instill is the belief in the guys that we are going to keep fighting right to the very end," Beveridge said.
"I don't care who we play, whether it is Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane or New Zealand. It doesn't matter.
"We are going to turn up every night. It was important for us to show our fans and probably show people in the league that we are not going to be easy beats this season."