"We're trying to make a statement that we might be out of the playoffs but we're still a good team and we're here to compete," Hawks skipper Jarrod Kenny said after the sides were locked at 110 each in regulation time.
In some respects that sort of razzle-dazzle antics comes to the fore when a burden is lifted, although Kenny argued self-imposed pressure had been present from day one this season.
"I think everyone played really well tonight. We worked on everything we wanted to work on," he said, mindful they had made it hard on themselves in letting the Airs claw their way back from double-figure deficits to seize the lead six times and tie on nine occasions.
"That's one thing we've been talking about in our team meetings - you know, that killer instinct and lifting the foot off their necks when we're up," he said, although proud of the boys for fighting to the end.
Needless to say, it wasn't always pretty in the first victory for the Paora Winitara regime that took over from sacked coach Liam Flynn a fortnight ago.
That both sides got into three-figure scores was a testimony to brittle defences on the foundation of care-free attitudes of nothing to lose.
Said Kenny: "They made a lot of clutch shots. I felt they were getting uncontested easy looks."
Airs forward Aaron Fuller made a game-high 36 points and plucked a dozen rebounds for his double-double.
Point guard Chris Hagan, playing through a knee injury, scored 24 points and added 15 assists to join the double-double club although Brad Anderson (26 points) looked lethal off the bench but seemed under utilised. Dyson King-Hawea added 20.
Hawks shooting guard Alonzo Burton came off the bench to score 26 points - field goals (62 per cent), three pointers (78) and free-throw line (75).
Point guard Marco Alexander impressed with 24 points after returning from ongoing hip surgery issues while US import Zack Atkinson (20 points/13 rebounds) and Kenny (18 points/10 assists) claimed double-double kudos.
Winitana played for eight minutes and then coached while injured Nigerian import Suleiman Braimoh was vocal from the bench.
The Hawks led 28-25 in the first quarter but upped the tempo in the second spell, 30-20, to go into halftime 58-45.
The Airs gnawed their way back in the third spell to win the quarter 26-21 to trail 79-71.
With 2:08 to go, Hagan dropped a massive three-pointer to level 100-100 and then, amid jeers and boos, collected a floor-slamming foul seconds later to tie it 102-102.
Incredibly, the visitors were 108-105 up when Darryl Jones, who scored nine points and claimed as many assists, dropped one from outside the arc and Atkinson faked to extract a basket from the glass but Fuller ensured it went into extra time.
The Airs questioned refereeing decisions, targeting Raewyn Willocks especially in the final quarter, but Hagan said he was not in a habit of commenting on officials and preferred to look ahead to their next game.
"It's tough, man. It's one of the toughest experiences I've had in my life. I'm just part of a team that keeps fighting," said the US import whose side remain winless.
Quitting was not in his blood, Hagan said, so they remained hopeful they would break the drought before the round-robin stage ends.
