Match Report: Hawks vs JackJumpers | Rd2 NBL26

It was a night of celebration in Wollongong as the Illawarra Hawks raised the 2024/25 NBL Championship banner to the rafters at WIN Entertainment Centre. In front of a packed house, the team was also presented with the Keys to the City by Lord Mayor and Hawkhead Tania Brown, with fans enjoying the new Greater Bank Fan Zone pre-game on a warm spring night.

But on court, despite a spectacular debut from Javale McGee, the Hawks couldn’t quite hold off the Tasmania JackJumpers, falling 91–86 in a hard-fought Round 2 contest.

The seven-foot veteran wasted no time introducing himself to Hawks fans, finishing with 32 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks on an ultra-efficient 15-of-20 shooting. He brought the crowd alive early with towering dunks and a "Mutombo" finger wag after swatting away a JackJumpers shot.

Tyler Harvey (19 points, 6 assists) provided his usual scoring punch, while Todd Blanchfield (12 points) and Biwali Bayles (4 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks) gave key minutes off the bench.

Perhaps the most emotional moment came in the first quarter, when Harry Froling checked in for his long-awaited NBL return after recovering from a serious brain injury, drilling a three-pointer from the top of the arc to the roar of the crowd.

Biwali Bayles provided an early spark off the bench immediately lifting the crowd with some aggressive defence and block on Tyger Campbell that set up a fast break with Wani Swaka Lo Buluk. McGee and Harvey carried much of the scoring load, but Illawarra’s depth was tested with Davo Hickey (eye) and Jonah Bolden (foot) sidelined.

In the fourth, Illawarra grabbed a 75–74 lead after starting the quarter down 61 - 69, but momentum swung as Tasmania answered with back-to-back triples from Majok Deng and Tyger Campbell, sparking a decisive run.

For the visitors, Bryce Hamilton (21 points, 6 rebounds) and Campbell (17 points, 4 assists) were clutch down the stretch, while Deng added 14 and Josh Bannan chipped in 11.

Coach Justin Tatum’s men now hit the road for two weeks, starting in Perth against the Wildcats on Wednesday, October 2, before heading across the Tasman to face the New Zealand Breakers on October 8.

Hawks fans can grab tickets to our next home game via Ticketmaster and keep the celebrations rolling all season long.

For more highlights, photos and behind-the-scenes action, check out our social media channels.

HUNGRY JACK’S NBL SEASON 2025/26 | Round 2 (Boxscore)
TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 91 (Hamilton 21, Campbell 17, Deng 14, Bannan 11)
ILLAWARRA HAWKS 86 (McGee 32, Harvey 19, Blanchfield 12)