Plagued by slow starts this season, the Hawks seemingly found a remedy to their first-quarter woes in dropping 30 points to lead by nine at the first break. It prompted an almighty spray from Wright that sparked 10-2 run from the hosts to start the second term.

Illawarra never regained momentum as the hosts started the third quarter with an 11-2 run to blow the visitors out of the water, with Rob Beveridge's men seemigly shutting up shop well before the finish.

Todd Blanchfield continued to carry the bulk of the scoring load for the Hawks with 22 points and 11 rebounds in a double-double. Brian Conklin had 12 of his 13 points in the first half, while Jordair Jett (10) was the only other Hawk in double figures.

Rebounding again proved an achilles heel, with the Hawks giving up 17 offensive boards and shooting at just 38 per cent from the field. It included a paltry 16-28 from the free-throw line.

Young star Jacob Wiley was best for the hosts with a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds including several rim-rattling slams. Anthony Drmic, Nathan Sobey and Daniel Johson also finished with 16 points each in a win that snapped a four-game losing streak.

It also saw the 36ers leapfrog Illawarra into sixth spot and leaves Beveridge with some serious questions to answer ahead of his side’s road clash with Brisbane on Thursday next week.

It was sluggish start from both sides, with neither managing a field goal in the opening two minutes forcing AJ Ogilvy and Johnson to open their respective accounts from the line.

Blanchfield got going with a lay-up and a three-point play, sparking a 11-2 run that was only halted when former Hawk Demitrius Conger dropped his first triple – his side’s first field goal –  five minutes into the opening term.

He had an assist and a steal on his next two possessions to momentarily put the breaks on the Hawks run, but Blanchfield added five more points, including another and-one play, to push the buffer out to 10.

Wiley got going with four quick points, while Sobey also had four as a 10-point margin was quickly whittled down to six before a long bomb from Daniel Grida gave the Hawks a nine-point cushion at the first break.

Wright’s quartertime blast had the desired effect, with Drmic dropping two triples on a 14-2 run to start the second term that saw the hosts take their first lead of the match. Blanchfield leveled the scores at 44 apiece with his first triple before Deng finished off a 27-16 quarter for his side with a lay-up to take a 48-46 lead into the break.

The 36ers exploded out of the blocks in the third with Sobey nailing a three and Wiley slamming home an alley-oop play on an 11-2 run that as the lead ballooned to 11. Blanchfield had five more to take himself past 20 points but he had little support as the hosts lead ballooned to 13.

Jett was hit with a technical for a scuffle with young-gun Harry Froling and the game was all but gone when Johnson slammed home a fast-break for a 17-point lead at three-quartertime. The Hawks never looked like getting back into it in the fourth, with the final margin resting at 25 points come the final buzzer.