JaVale McGee<\/a> had 16 points, six rebounds and six blocks and star guard Tyler Harvey said having both McGee and Sam Froling on the floor at the same time was creating opportunities for the whole team.<\/p>\n“Two big threats in the paint open things for everyone,” Harvey said.<\/p>\n
“If teams double, they kick it out. If not, the bigs have one-on-one matchups. It\u2019s a cat-and-mouse game we haven\u2019t had all year. This is the first time we\u2019ve had nearly our full team. We\u2019re still figuring it out, but I thought we did a good job tonight.”<\/p>\n
The Hawks are now 7-13, three games back of the JackJumpers in sixth on 10-13.<\/p>\n
“I\u2019m really happy about my guys and how they played for 40 minutes, even though we went through a tough patch in the last five minutes of the game,” Tatum said. <\/p>\n
“We found a way to will that win.<\/p>\n
I tip my hat off to guys like (Wani Swaka Lo Buluk), holding Bryce Hamilton to 10 points in 32 minutes \u2014 unbelievable. <\/p>\n
This guy next to me (Harvey)\u00a0has been out over a week or two with back spasms, coming off the bench, great team supporter, comes out and helps us with 15 or 16 points. Total team effort.<\/p>\n
“I really tip my hat off to guys like (Biwali), who came in and set the tone defensively and had some offensive opportunities as well.<\/p>\n
“Anything right now with this team \u2014 everybody wants to find a way to contribute to help us win games, and they\u2019re going to get the opportunity.”<\/p>\n
Tasmania JackJumpers coach Scott Roth endured another close ball game and was just finger tips away from sending it to overtime.<\/p>\n
“Obviously a very intense end of the game,” Roth said.<\/p>\n
“If you take the positives from my end, you got back in there. It\u2019s all positive. We played our ass off.<\/p>\n
“We played as hard as we possibly can. That\u2019s what we do every single night. So it\u2019s all good by me. We keep showing up and staying in the fight, and it\u2019s really pleasing.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s frustrating obviously, but the fight\u2019s real with us. We swung and maybe didn\u2019t execute quite as well in some situations. We missed a bunch of foul shots. <\/p>\n
“But ultimately they keep competing, which is fantastic in this short amount of time and all these games that are coming our way.”<\/p>\n
Key Details<\/h4>\nBy the Numbers<\/h4>\n\n- Josh Bannan (Tasmania) starred with 25 points, six rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes.<\/li>\n
- Sam Froling (Illawarra) scored 16 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and one block in 28 minutes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
What Happened<\/h4>\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/cdn.prod.website-files.com\/66de41e2655789935056f9d5\/6954df2cbaa880cefa5d59b1_GettyImages-2254120063.jpg\")
<\/div>
Biwali Bayles of the Hawks warms up ahead of the round 15 NBL match between Illawarra Hawks and Tasmania Jackjumpers at WIN Entertainment Centre on December 31, 2025 in Wollongong. Photo: Jason McCawley\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Hawks established early control with solid first-half shooting, leading 50-39 at the main break. Illawarra’s efficient offense was spearheaded by their balanced attack, with five players reaching double figures. The Hawks shot an outstanding 50% from the field compared to Tasmania’s 44%, while both teams connected on 10 three-pointers each.<\/p>\n
Tasmania mounted a spirited comeback in the second half, outscoring Illawarra 51-42 over the final two quarters. The JackJumpers’ fourth-quarter surge saw them outscore the Hawks 25-19, cutting what had been a comfortable lead down to just two points. Tyger Campbell’s efficient 18-point performance on 7-from-13 shooting was crucial in keeping Tasmania within striking distance throughout the contest.<\/p>\n
Josh Bannan delivered an exceptional performance for the visitors, shooting an outstanding 11-from-14 from the field (78.6%) to finish with a game-high 25 points. His dominance in the paint was complemented by David Johnson’s 16 points off the bench, while Majok Deng contributed 11 points despite shooting struggles from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n
The Hawks’ defensive presence proved decisive, particularly their rim protection led by JaVale McGee’s six blocks. McGee’s 16-point, six-rebound performance was matched by Sam Froling’s stellar double-double effort. Tyler Harvey added 15 points from the bench, connecting on 4-from-9 from downtown to provide crucial scoring when the game was on the line.<\/p>\n
Illawarra’s superior rebounding (44-38) and free-throw shooting (76.9% compared to Tasmania’s 58.3%) ultimately made the difference in this tight contest. The Hawks’ ability to control the defensive glass limited Tasmania’s second-chance opportunities, while their more reliable charity stripe performance proved crucial down the stretch.<\/p>\n
With this hard-fought win, the Hawks maintain their position atop the NBL standings at 19-9. The loss leaves Tasmania at 12-16, sitting in seventh place as they continue their fight for playoff positioning. The JackJumpers will rue their poor free-throw shooting, going just 14-from-24 from the foul line in what proved to be a costly two-point defeat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n