Disappointed Illawarra Hawks hungry to take that next step in the NBL

Brian Goorjian's men were on Sunday knocked out in the NBL's semi-finals - for the second successive season - as arch-rivals the Kings kept their campaign alive with a 99-87 victory at Qudos Bank Arena. Sydney had come up trumps two nights earlier in game one in at WIN Entertainment Centre.

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After dropping that first semi, the Hawks looked on track to bounce back and force a deciding game when they led 54-44 at half time. However, the hosts dominated the third quarter, turning that 10-point deficit into a two-point lead (69-67).

Illawarra continued to fight hard in the last and it was a a two-point game with two minutes to play, but Sydney - led by NBL MVP Jaylen Adams - hit a number of crucial free throws to secure victory.

It was a disappointing end to a season that promised so much for Illawarra who, after a mid-season slump, came roaring into the playoffs and second place by winning eight of their last nine games.

"It was just a feeling of shock in the locker room [after Sunday's defeat]," Ogilvy told the Mercury.

"I personally felt like we had it in the fourth quarter and if we could have strung a couple of stops together, we could have run away with it. Everyone was obviously upset and disappointed. To go from being a couple of points up [late in the game] to then suddenly it was season over, that was tough.

"But I think the short turnaround into next year will allow for that chip-on-the-shoulder type attitude. We'll try learn from the experience and build because it's great making semi-finals, but if you want to get to the grand final, you've got to get better."

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While that disappointment will hover over the Hawks for now, Ogilvy remains bullish about the team's future prospects.

Star guard Tyler Harvey and young talent Sam Froling and Dan Grida remain locked up on long-term deals, while Ogilvy hopes the club can retain some other key pieces on the roster.

"Tyler and Sam are locked in which is exciting, and Grida will be back next year too, which adds an element that no one else on the team has: he that tenacity. And we've got to try get a few of the other imports back if we can. But having those guys locked in long term enables us to build year on year," Ogilvy said.

"But I think back-to-back semi-finals is a long way to come from a team that was in involuntary administration. But taking that next step is hard. We were one win away from it last year and ran into a red-hot Sydney team this year unfortunately.

"Throughout the year, if you'd said we were to make the semi-finals, a lot of people would have been shocked. And to go in there with home-court advantage showed how we developed as a team and the culture that we were able to instill in the guys. The next step is getting to the grand final though."

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