Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
The Illawarra Hawks have strolled to their first win of the NBL season, walloping the Adelaide 36ers 114-92 in the biggest upset of the season.
Import Kelan Martin (28 points, 5-of-7 three-pointers) and centre Sam Froling (19 points, 13 rebounds) starred as Illawarra romped to a whopping 30-point halftime lead at Wollongong’s WIN Entertainment Centre on Friday night, before cruising home.
Bryce Cotton scored 15 points for the Sixers, but was limited to a paltry four field-goal attempts, hounded relentlessly by Wani Swaka Lo Buluk’s defence.
Illawarra used an early 11-0 burst to assume control, hitting 6-of-9 three-pointers en route to a 35-21 buffer.
Somehow, it grew even more lopsided in the second term, in which the Hawks obliterated the 36ers 30-14 to streak ahead 65-35.
A staggering five Illawarra players had double-digit scoring tallies by halftime – led by Martin – while Harvey and Hickey already had five assists apiece.
The Hawks had 19 assists to zero turnovers by the main break, were dominating the boards 28-16, and held Adelaide to 3-of-21 from downtown.
It was men against boys stuff.
Dan Grida FLEW above the rim 🦅Watch live on ESPN 📺 pic.twitter.com/F7JGADXk9C— NBL (@NBL) October 2, 2026
“That’s the greatest half of basketball I’ve ever seen the Illawarra Hawks play,” said the foundation club’s 2001 championship-winning great Damon Lowery on ESPN commentary.
Unsung Keanu Rasmussen led the first Sixers rally of the evening as they avoided total embarrassment by winning the third quarter 32-27 to reduce the deficit to a still imposing 92-67 at the final break.
Illawarra’s lead blew out to 32 early in the fourth before Adelaide coach Trevor Gleeson called a rare five-in, five-out substitution, bringing in the whole 36ers’ bench, who minimised some of the damage down the stretch.
