A first-half master class from Julius Hodge has helped keep the Melbourne Tigers' unlikely playoffs bid alive as they waltzed to a comprehensive 84-65 victory over the Wollongong Hawks at the State Netball Hockey Centre on Friday night.
The result saw Melbourne win consecutive matches for the first time this season and surely proved that its Boxing Day upset over Wollongong at the same venue was no fluke.
The Tigers are now enjoying their best period of the season having won three of their last four matches after only managing four victories from their first 15.
Hodge was imperious in the first two quarters of the match, which was referee Ray Hunt's 900th, with 14 points, five rebounds and six assists to lay down the foundations for Melbourne's huge win.
The star import ended up with 20, seven and eight and was superbly assisted by Mark Worthington (14, four), Daryl Corletto (15, four) and Chris Anstey who scored his 11 points in the decisive first half to ensure the loss of Nathan Crosswell was barely noticed.
Wollongong was best-served by Larry Davidson (12, 10), who was barely unsighted in final three quarters, David Gruber (10, four) and Cameron Tragardh (11, five).
But the match was the third Wollongong has lost out of four matches without sidelined superstar Tywain McKee and based on this performance, the Hawks' tilt at the title now looks extremely vulnerable with the American ruled out for the remainder of the campaign.
Shooting cost Wollongong - especially in the first quarter when the visitors shot 36 percent from the field (7-19) compared to Melbourne's 63 (12-19).
For majority of the first quarter it was as if only three players were out there.
Davidson raced to 10 points in less than six minutes, Worthington scored Melbourne's first seven points and Hodge scored the hosts' next eight.
The Hawks held the ascendancy for most of the quarter and a bucket from Tragardh put them up 19-15.
But Tigers centre Anstey entered the fray with seven points in three minutes – including a huge triple - to inspire Melbourne who scored the last 14 points of the term.
Three seconds before quarter-time Hodge increased his first-term haul to 10 as the Tigers streaked away to a 29-19 lead.
Corletto extended Melbourne's run to a whopping 16-0 early in the second period before Davidson finally ended the visitors' scoring drought that lasted almost six minutes.
It sparked a 9-4 run for Wollongong highlighted by a pair of threes from Glen Saville and Rhys Martin which got the Hawks to within seven (35-28).
But Melbourne bolted clear again with 11 of the next 14 points and Corletto drilled a huge three to increase the Tigers' lead to 15 (46-31) before repeating the dose from beyond the arc less than two minutes later to ensure the hosts advantage was that figure (51-36) at half-time.
Hodge stamped his class on the first half with two defensive highlights in the second period which led to two brilliant baskets.
In the first instance he executed a cheeky steal at half-court to run down to Melbourne's end for an electrifying dunk and in the second he intercepted a pass designated for Mat Campbell in the Hawks' half which also resulted in two for the star import.
The Tigers delivered the killer blow in the third quarter as they broke loose yet again to go on a devastating 12-2 run – including treys from Worthington and Tommy Greer – to increase their advantage to a match-high 23 (63-40).
The match threatened to explode in the final term after ongoing niggle between Worthington and Davidson escalated to a bust-up that involved all 10 players before the pair were given their marching orders for unsportsmanlike fouls which were also their fifth each.
Melbourne (7-12) has a six-day break before facing off with New Zealand at the North Shore Events Centre on Thursday while Wollongong (11-10) enjoys an eight-day rest before hosting Gold Coast next Saturday.
Melbourne Tigers 84 (Hodge 20, Corletto 15, Worthington 14)
Wollongong Hawks 65 (Davidson 12, Tragardh 11, Gruber 10)
@ The State Netball and Hockey Centre, 8/1/2010. Crowd: 2,823
