20
Dec
Snap Recap
'Bryce & Ice': 36ers escape big time upset in 'Gong
Bryce Cotton of the 36ers looks to pass during the round 13 NBL match between Illawarra Hawks and Adelaide 36ers at WIN Entertainment Centre on December 20, 2025 in Wollongong. Photo: Mark Kolbe Photography/Getty Images
Adelaide closed strong to beat injury-hit Illawarra 84–78 as the Hawks’ title defence slips further
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Illawarra Hawks big man JaVale McGee was out with an eye injury and Tyler Harvey also watched from the bench but the defending champions almost pulled off one of the upsets of the season, falling 84-78 to the league leaders Adelaide 36ers in Round 13 of NBL26 in Wollongong on Saturday, December 20, 2025.
The 36ers are 15-4 and are now heading home for three straight while the Hawks title defense just became Everest at 6-12.
Adelaide closed strongly to secure a six-point road win over Illawarra in a tightly contested NBL clash that featured 24 lead changes. The Hawks were competitive throughout and led for just over nine minutes, but Adelaide’s fourth-quarter execution proved decisive.
Scores were level after the first term and the game remained tight through three quarters before the 36ers outscored Illawarra 24–19 in the final period. Adelaide spent 26:29 of game time in front, compared to Illawarra’s 9:29, and held the Hawks scoreless at the free-throw line for long stretches, capitalising on better late-game shot quality.
Key Details
- NBL Box Score: Illawarra Hawks 78, Adelaide 36ers 84 (Final)
- Saturday, December 20, 2025
- WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
- Attendance: 4,432
Illawarra Hawks
- Quentin Peterson – 21 points, 3 threes, 2 assists (8–23 FG)
- Wani Swaka Lo Buluk – 19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 threes (8–14 FG)
- Daniel Grida – 11 points in 12 minutes (5–6 FG)
- Mason Peatling – 8 points, 8 rebounds
- William Hickey – 5 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists
Adelaide 36ers
- Isaac Humphries – 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists (8–11 FG)
- Bryce Cotton – 16 points, 7 assists, 2 threes
- Nick Rakocevic – 11 points, 11 rebounds (double-double)
- Isaac White – 11 points, 2 threes
- Zylan Cheatham – 11 points, 7 rebounds, 7–8 FT
Illawarra matched Adelaide’s physicality and won the rebounding battle, but the 36ers’ superior shooting efficiency, ball movement, and late-game composure – led by Humphries, Cotton, and Rakocevic – delivered a crucial road win.
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