Bayles plugged into starting 5, sparks must-win

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High-energy guard Biwali Bayles made the first start of his career as Illawarra Hawks head coach Justin Tatum queued up Back to the Future, moving William "Davo" Hickey back to the bench, as the defending champions delivered a must-win 92-90 win against the Tasmania JackJumpers in the first game of NBL26 Round 15 in Wollongong on New Year's Eve.

Hickey and Bayles, who grew up together playing for the Sydney Comets and played for the club in NBL1 2025, combined for 15 points, nine boards and four assists but crucially it put Hickey back into the role that led the Hawks to the NBL25 championship.

Tatum said: "(Biwali) organised us all week in practice. I reward guys who help us prepare. You can’t ignore that.

"Hopefully that mindset trickles down to the rest of the team."

But it wasn't easy. The Hawks only survived after Hickey blocked David Johnson's game-winning three point attempt. Tasmania's Bryce Hamilton grabbed the offensive board but his reverse layup was still in his fingers as the clock expired.

Hawks centre JaVale McGee 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.

"Two big threats in the paint open things for everyone," Harvey said.

"If teams double, they kick it out. If not, the bigs have one-on-one matchups. It’s a cat-and-mouse game we haven’t had all year. This is the first time we’ve had nearly our full team. We’re still figuring it out, but I thought we did a good job tonight."

The Hawks are now 7-13, three games back of the JackJumpers in sixth on 10-13.

"I’m 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.

"We found a way to will that win.

I tip my hat off to guys like (Wani Swaka Lo Buluk), holding Bryce Hamilton to 10 points in 32 minutes — unbelievable.

This guy next to me (Harvey) has 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.

"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.

"Anything right now with this team — everybody wants to find a way to contribute to help us win games, and they’re going to get the opportunity."

Tasmania JackJumpers coach Scott Roth endured another close ball game and was just finger tips away from sending it to overtime.

"Obviously a very intense end of the game," Roth said.

"If you take the positives from my end, you got back in there. It’s all positive. We played our ass off.

"We played as hard as we possibly can. That’s what we do every single night. So it’s all good by me. We keep showing up and staying in the fight, and it’s really pleasing.

"It’s frustrating obviously, but the fight’s real with us. We swung and maybe didn’t execute quite as well in some situations. We missed a bunch of foul shots.

"But ultimately they keep competing, which is fantastic in this short amount of time and all these games that are coming our way."

Key Details

• Result: Illawarra Hawks 92 def. Tasmania JackJumpers 90
• When: Tuesday, 31st December 2025
• Where: WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
• Attendance: 5,359
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Josh Bannan (Tasmania) starred with 25 points, six rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes.
• Sam Froling (Illawarra) scored 16 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and one block in 28 minutes.

What Happened

The 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.