The Central Coast Crusaders travelled down to Illawarra to take on the Hawks at their home court the Snakepit on Saturday, June 29.
The men got things started with tip-off at 5pm against an Illawarra team that was creeping up behind the Crusaders on the ladder looking to snatch up the 13th spot.
A huge first half for fan favourite Tom Akamarmoi as he got hot from the three-point line early led the Crusaders to a 48-45 lead going into half-time.
It was an unusual game for league top three scorer Robbie Heath with shooting woes plaguing his performance throughout the match, but he was still able to put up 14 points on a shaky 21 per cent from the field.
The Crusaders ran away with it in the third quarter thanks to a combined effort from the starting five, all scoring in the double digits.
There was some late drama as the Hawks pulled off quite the comeback but, in the end, it was Ben Stevens’ stellar performance on both ends of the court that gave the Crusaders the edge.
Stevens finished the game with an impressive 22-point 16 rebound double-double and the Crusaders took a 97-93 win in front of the away fans, ending an eight-game losing streak.
The Crusaders remain in the 13th spot with only two rounds left in the season.
They can now rest easy as the possibility of a wooden spoon is out of the question.
The women closed out the night with their match-up at 7pm which saw the return of the Crusaders’ big three in action after a four-week hiatus.
WNBA veteran Leilani Mitchel, Mikaela Dombkins and captain Jasmine Forcadilla were back in full effect and not a moment too soon as the post-season closes in.
The first quarter finished in the Crusaders’ favour but the Hawks weren’t giving up easily as they chase their own top eight finish.
The score was tied at 43-43 at half-time.
Once again, the Crusaders starting five did their jobs with four of them finishing the match in the double digits but it was the spark from the bench in Sara Matthews that gave the Crusaders the winning edge in the end.
Matthews finished the game with a 13-point 11 rebound double-double to push the Crusaders over the line in a hard fought 76-70 win over the Hawks.
Mitchell also finished with an impressive 12-6-8 stat-line and Dombkins cleaned house on the boards finishing with a 19-point 14 rebound double-double of her own.
It was an important win for the Crusaders who win back their fifth place on the ladder with just two rounds left in the season.
The Crusaders travel down the M1 to the Hills to take on the Hornets on Saturday, July 6, with the women tipping off at 5.30pm followed by the men’s game at 7.30pm.