GAME TWO: TOWNSVILLE V WOLLONGONG
PRE-GAME
After watching the Hawks last road game against an undermanned Adelaide 36ers I am unconvinced that they can take out a desperate Crocs team at ‘The Swamp’. The Hawks seem to be a totally different team when they are on the road but may see themselves as a chance in Game Two as the Crocs are coming off two beltings. I feel the only chance the Hawks have in this contest is if they start like they did in Game One. If they can jump out to a big lead, the skeletons from the past two matches may come out to haunt the Crocs. The question on every Croc fans mind is if Corey ‘Homicide’ Williams is going to come to play tonight and steer his side to victory. If Homicide comes out and dominates then I’ll be sure the series is heading to a decider - the Crocs by a comfortable seven points.
GAME TIME
The opening minute of the game spelled danger signs for the Crocs as they allowed an open layup and chucked up an air ball, not the kind of start Mr Gleeson was hoping for. During that first quarter it was amazing to see just how much space Homicide was given by Rhys Martin, it was like watching teams play Anthony Carter from the Denver Nuggets. However Williams hit a couple of jump shots letting the crowd know by putting up two fingers. He isn’t counting is he? What a showman Homicide is, I love it. That first quarter was all about the defensive hustle from the Crocs coming up with some nice steals which allowed Williams to go one on one in the open court, where he is simply unstoppable. Wollongong really struggled offensively in the opening quarter having only nine points. Russell Hinder and Stephen Hoare showed their wealth of finals experience finishing around the rim and beyond the three point line.
The Crocs laid down the law early, something the Hawks could not afford to allow at The Swamp. The first quarter finished up 23-9.
A nice dunk by Hinder followed by a crafty move by Cameron Tragardh showed signs of promise in an entertaining second quarter. Hinder kept his 100% streak going by hitting a three, which gave him an early ten points. Again the Hawks struggled on the offensive end, continually turning the ball over allowing Williams to get transition baskets and get to the free throw line. After a timeout was called the cameraman switched over to the Crocodile’s mascot smashing the little Hawk. That’s certainly what it looked like out on the court too. A couple of transition baskets by the Hawks looked as if they were finding their feet but it was short lived as Williamson buried a three. The Hawks gave themselves some sort of hope when they went on a 5-0 run to finish the half. The Crocs cruised to an 18-point lead at half time, 44-26. Hinder’s interview at half time with Hammer was nothing short of hilarious. My favourite quote of Hinder’s being; “It’s time me and Corey pulled our heads out of our rectum”. The look on Hammer’s face when he finished the interview was priceless.
The third quarter was all about Homicide Williams. Corey hit a nice jumper again letting the crowd know he had hit his third for the evening. He was on the offensive glass finishing off an athletic tip in and even got down and dirty in the post against the smaller point guards from the ‘Gong. I think that’s a great tactic, because if they are going to let the Hawks point guards rest on defence then they are going to be fresh at the end of the game. He surely made them work which showed as they were sloppy and indecisive on offence. All in all a very sloppy quarter (26 points scored) from both sides, especially the Hawks.
Too many turnovers, rushed shots and no fluency what so ever on offence. The Crocs have to be commended though, they played an in-your-face style of defence which forced the Hawks to play most of their offence outside the three point line. The Hawks failed to cut the deficit at three-quarter time, they trailed 59-37.
It was great to see the fans enjoying themselves, especially the few behind Tovey on the inbound, they gave it to Davidson. The quarter was time for some of the bench guys to showcase their talent as the coaches cleared their pine with four minutes to play. I thought it would have been much earlier considering game three is only a few days away. The ‘Gong boys looked like they weren’t enjoying themselves watching the last few minutes; don’t worry fellas it was just as painful watching it at home. The Crocs in the end 82-53 victors.
Pretty poor display by the Hawks in the end, they just couldn’t handle the intensity the Crocs brought to the table. I mean is the winner of this series going to be able to play away from home, if not the NBL may as well give the trophy to the Wildcats now. Williams after the match summarised his sides performance brilliantly stating “Everything we did wrong down there, we did right tonight” and when asked about how far they were standing off his jump shot he said “One thing, I hope I still get that, because I’m going to take it”. Homicide is all character and finished with “I’ll only count my made jump shots if you’re there Hammer, not if Gaze is”.
Williams would have to be my player of the game, he really took the game on his shoulders and his 24 shot attempts will back me up on that. However Russell Hinder (16 points, 8 rebounds) wouldn’t be too far behind and I know Billy B will be letting me know how well Rusty played on Monday morning.
Cameron Tovey must also be commended for coming off the bench and lighting it up for 15 points on 6/7 shooting.
Well we are set for a ripper on Saturday night, what’s it going to be? Another blowout or are the Crocs going to bring their A-Game? Let's hope the latter.
I’m not going to lie, I can’t believe the Hawks have come this far. It’s a fairytale which could be made into a movie if they take out the championship. Not taking anything away from them, they are a great young group with some excellent veterans leading the way. The coaching staff must be commended for the efforts with the group they have got. Gordie must be the Coach of the Year, no questions asked! Will the fairytale continue or will the Crocs put an end to it?
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of the National Basketball League.
