Basketball: Hawks post first win since 2015

Bay Hawks swingman Ana Haku (right) beats Nelson Giants forward Finn Delaney to a rebound tonight. Photo/Warren Buckland

Relief was written all over the face of Bay Hawks basketball coach Kirstin Daly-Taylor after her team's 81-63 NBL victory against the Nelson Giants in Taradale's Pettigrew-Green Arena tonight.

The win came after 24 consecutive losses. The last time the Hawks recorded a victory was on June 21, 2015.

"It's definitely a case of relief for me personally. I was starting to think I was jinxing the team. The monkey is off my back not the team because this team is a different group of men to last year's team," Daly-Taylor stressed.

"It's been a long time coming and we did it in style," Taylor Hawks franchise chairman Keith Price said.

"It's good that we did it by giving our young fellahs plenty of court time because a lot of the other teams have done that to us in recent times," Price said.

"I'm stoked for the team and Kirstin. Our season started today ... now we have to keep winning," he added.

It was a patchy first quarter from the Hawks. However when they were in full flight the Giants couldn't compete and the hosts deserved their 20-13 lead at the start of the second quarter.

When Tall Blacks guard Everard Bartlett sunk a three pointer to give the Hawks a 27-16 lead with 7m06s remaining before halftime the Giants were never going to come back.
The Hawks led 41-31 at halftime.

Starting swingman Joshua Fox scored 15 points for the Hawks in the first half. Imported guard Kyle Adnam was the Giants top scorer with 11.

When the Giants had some faint hope trailing 45-37 with 7m01s remaining in the third quarter Bartlett sunk another three pointer. Minutes later the Giants got within nine.
The Hawks led 61-48 going into the fourth quarter.

For refree Dallas Pickering the match was his 400th NBL encounter. Pickering's first was in 1994.

The Mike Pero Nelson Giants remain winless after five games. Giants coach Alan McAughty said his troops had targeted tonight's game as they did the previous one as a possible win.

"I thought the Hawks took us out of the game by playing hard," he added.

Scorers:
Bay Hawks 81 (Everard Bartlett 19, Joshua Fox 15, Grant Fiorentinos 15), Nelson Giants 63 (Dion Prewster 25, Kyle Adnam 11, Finn Delany 10). HT: 41-31.