They've overcome most hurdles in 2022, but the Hawks NBL1 East women's team are gearing up to face their biggest test yet on Saturday.
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The Illawarra outfit will head to North Sydney to take on the Bears, in a battle between second and third position on the ladder.
It's been an impressive start for the Hawks in the inaugural NBL1 East competition, with the side - under the guidance of coach Tom Cranney - dropping just one game after seven rounds.
However, Cranney said he expected a tough challenge from the second-placed Bears.
"The games have progressively been getting more tough and physical. Every week, we look up and it's another step up on the ladder,'' he said. ''But my girls have been great and stepped up to each challenge. This will be another good one, especially on the road.
"There will certainly be some physicality there. They've [Bears] got a lot of size across the board and are well coached, and probably the most aggressive defensive team from what I've seen. So they'll be up in our face everywhere we go, up the floor and in the lanes, making everything tough.
''They're really well run, so it will be a battle.
"We'll put some stuff in game plan-wise, but it's about trying to match that physicality and not get put on the back foot. That happened early on when we were adjusting to the new speed and physicality that this new league brings.
''We've been prone to a slow start here and there, but the girls have been resilient and found a way to adjust. They always get a feel for it and start to fight back as the games goes on."
Cranney said the personality and resilience within his team had been "awesome" so far in 2022.
"I came on board late and didn't really know what to expect, but they've been an absolute dream to coach," he said. "Their personality really suits me and the way I played, and the way I like to coach. They're super competitive and they just want to work hard and win out there.
"If they do that, my job is pretty easy."
The Hawks NBL1 men's side will also hit the road to face the Bears on Saturday night. It shapes as a crucial outing for the Illawarra team, who sit in sixth spot on the ladder - two positions ahead of North Sydney.
Coach Nash Al-Saadi said his team was playing well but there was still plenty of room for improvement.
"Offensively, we're good and usually don't have a problem in games,'' he said.
''We've got a mix of youth and experience, and have good movement and generally make good decisions," he said.
"But defensively we have some problems that we need to fix during the season. But I believe they will be better on Saturday night than the last game - we just need to decrease the points that we're conceding. We need to change the habit of how we play one on one, or two on two. We need to fix the principal things and small details. I don't think we can break that habit in a short period, we need more time."
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