Hawks find ways to win as Auckland lose unbeaten record

The Taylor Corp Bay Hawks handed the Auckland Tuatara their first loss of the Sal’s National Basketball League season with a 75-74 win on Wednesday night.

The Hawks jumped out to an early 9-2 advantage as the Tuatara tried to work in new import Siler Schneider, but Auckland quickly got it going and found themselves in front after the first quarter 21-17.

Fresh off his Performance of the Week award in Round 3, Tuatara centre Chris Johnson wasted no time doing damage in the first half with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field. Like previous matchups, Johnson was proving a handful for a Hawks team that has lacked some interior size against the league’s biggest men. He finished with a gamehigh 29 points to go with 10 rebounds and four blocks in 33 minutes of work.

The Hawks hit three 3-pointers in the first half, with guard Derone Raukawa responsible for two of those en route to 10 points at the break. Raukawa totalled 18 points for the game with four 3-pointers.

The Hawks started the second half strong, too, opening on a monster 17-2 run. It was Raukawa and Hyrum Harris doing most of the damage for the Hawks in the third, but the Tuatara found their footing to cut the deficit to four heading into the final quarter.

Harris narrowly missed out on a triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and two blocks, and his defence throughout the course of the game helped make an impact for the Hawks.

It was a thrilling finish at

Eventfinda stadium with the game tied at 73 in the closing seconds. Ethan Rusbatch nailed two free throws to give the Hawks a two-point edge, and Tuatara guard Chris McIntosh would go on to make one of two free throws at the other end.

Hawks 75: Harris 16 pts, 10 reb, 8 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk, Raukawa 18 pts, Jordan Hunt 18 pts, 8 reb, Rusbatch 12 pts, 10 reb, 4 stl; Tuatara 74: Johnson 29 pts, 10 reb, Schneider 12 pts, 4 reb.*