Illawarra centre Harry Froling enjoyed an NBL career night and his sibling Sam also shone as the Hawks snapped out of their recent funk with a 100-89 home win over Adelaide.
Heading into Monday's game in Wollongong, the much-fancied Hawks had lost three of their last four.
Coming off the bench, 23-year-old Harry Froling bagged a personal best 27 points, landing eight of ten three-point attempts in a sizzling long range display and also bagged a team-high nine rebounds.
"It was probably the most fun I've had playing basketball," Harry Froling said.
Younger brother Sam, 21, also tormented Adelaide, scoring 18 points at 61 per cent from the field and bagged eight rebounds and five assists.
With Boomers centre Duop Reath unable to play in the second half and logging just nine minutes after taking an elbow to the hip, the older Froling stepped up and was the dominant big on the court.
"I'm really pleased for him, because he has been doing a lot of work and it helps the process if you get rewarded now and then," Hawks' coach Brian Goorjian said.
"He makes shots, but it was all the other things, getting up and down the court, rotating on defence, talking, covering everybody's back.
"They had us on the glass and I thought he came and did a great job on the boards."
Harry Froling made all five of his first half three-pointers.
"It was great from him but terrible from us not being able to recognise and be able to take that away from him, but credit where credit is due, he played well," Adelaide coach CJ Burton said of Harry Froling.
Adelaide cut a 15-point second quarter deficit to five at half-time, but were smoked 31-14 in the third, trailing by 22 at the end of that term.
American guard Tyler Harvey, who has had an inconsistent start to the season, was another offensive weapon for Illawarra, scoring 19 points at 61 per cent from the field with three long bombs landed.
Goorjian criticised his team's defence in the lead-up to the game, but was much happier despite conceding 30 In the final quarter, though Illawarra maintained a double digit lead all through that period.
"I thought when the game mattered until it was over, our defence was a level above what it's been all year," Goorjian said.
While import Justinian Jessup was held scoreless, Goorjian praised him for his huge defensive effort.
Guard Sunday Dech was a stand-out for Adelaide, nailing six of ten three-point attempts in his 20 point-haul, while America forward Todd Withers contributed 15 at 66 per cent from the field.
"Tonight we had 16 turnovers, they had five, and they scored a lot of points off those turnovers and that's the game really," Dech said.
Australian Associated Press
