Melbourne United snaps losing run with fast finish against Illawarra Hawks
Melbourne United produced a stirring finish to end its two-match losing run, capitalising on Illawarra Hawks’ wasteful with the ball to clinch a 104-91 victory.
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Melbourne United have snapped a two-match losing run and stormed over the top of Illawarra to clinch a 104-91 victory.
Trailing by two points at the final change on Saturday evening at the Wollongong Entertainment Centre, United won the final quarter 32-17.
Melbourne had five double-digit scorers with import Stanton Kidd and guard Chris Goulding notching 21 points, Shawn Long 17, Mitch McCarron 16 and Jo Lual Acuil 10.
The Hawks also had five men in double figures, headed by veteran Tim Coenraad with 18.
Sparked by three early three-pointers from veteran Coenraad, Illawarra shot to an early 20-9 lead.
Acuil scored eight points in just over three-and-a-half minutes to help United to get within two at three-quarter time.
Six of Acuil’s points came from the free-throw line, from where United had 10 attempts to none in the first quarter.
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The lead changed hands again in the second quarter, but sharpshooter Goulding’s 10 points for the term set up a 55-50 halftime lead for the visitors.
They stretched that buffer to nine with the first four points of the third quarter, but Illawarra captain Todd Blanchfield nailed a couple of threes and Angus Glover sank another as the Hawks fought back to lead 74-72 at three- quarter time.
Illawarra were shooting at a 63 per cent after three quarters and finished at 57 for the match.
But their ball control let them down, committing 19 turnovers to United’s nine, while Melbourne also had 18 more free-throw attempts.
FULLTIME SCORES
MELBOURNE UNITED 104 (C Goulding 22 S Kidd 19 S Long 16) bt ILLAWARRA HAWKS 91 (T Coenraad 18 T Blanchfield 14 J Boone 12) at WIN Entertainment Centre.
Originally published as Melbourne United snaps losing run with fast finish against Illawarra Hawks