Melbourne United grind out impressive win over Illawarra

An undermanned Melbourne United squad secured a gritty win over the Illawarra Hawks on Wednesday night in Wollongong, making it six wins from six games to start the season.

Without Chris Goulding, Shea Ili and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., United was going to require a total team effort to get over the line and that’s exactly what Coach Dean Vickerman got.

It was raining triples in Wollongong in the first half, with both teams finding their range early and shooting the lights out.

Scotty Hopson came out with plenty of energy early and it was clear he was looking to help fill the void left by the injured duo of Goulding and Ili.

Hopson and Jock Landale both jumped out of the gates early, with Landale draining back-to-back triples to give Melbourne a 13-6 lead after three minutes of play.

Tyler Harvey and Justinian Jessup both started to get busy for Illawarra and levelled the scores with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter.

United injury replacement player Dillon Stith checked in late in the quarter and had an immediate impact, scoring five quick points, while a McCarron buzzer-beater triple gave Melbourne a five-point lead at the first break, 36-31.

United’s score of 36 set a new franchise record for the highest score in a first quarter and a new season-high in the NBL.

McCarron took over in the second quarter as he led from the front with stifling defence and an array of offensive moves that kept Illawarra guessing. A pair of threes from McCarron had United up by seven points, 50-43, with just under four minutes left in the first half.

While McCarron and Hopson kept the scoreboard ticking over for United, it was Jessup and Harvey who were unstoppable for the Hawks. Struggling to grab rebounds, Melbourne gave up key offensive boards which allowed Illawarra second chance opportunities and they took advantage on many occasions.

In a shoot-out of a first half, United held a two-point lead, 57-55, at the main break. Hopson (14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists) and McCarron (13 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists) were pacing United, while Jessup and Harvey combined for 27 first-half points for the Hawks.

After a high-scoring first half, both teams clearly made defensive adjustments coming out of half time and it resulted in a very different third quarter. With defence the focus, both teams struggled to score and after scoring just one point in the opening 4:50 of the third term, a Barlow triple got things moving again for Melbourne.

Harvey hit back-to-back threes to have Illawarra leading by four points, but Yudai Baba turned up the defence another notch and when he flew past the Hawks’ defence on a fast break to score, United regained the lead, 73-72, in the final minute of the quarter.

With a one-point lead to start the fourth quarter, United got straight to work on building that lead with McCarron, Baba and Sam McDaniel hitting shots.

Down the stretch, it remained a battle of the defences as neither team gave an inch. Just as he did against Perth a few days earlier, Jack White brought down a huge offensive rebound at a key moment and when he scored with two minutes remaining, United held a five-point lead, 89-84.

Illawarra wasn’t done though, as Harvey and Jessup hit clutch free throws to make it a one-point game, 89-88, with one and half minutes remaining on the clock.

A baseline drive and score from White with just over 30 seconds left was ultimately the game-clinching bucket as the rookie once again proved himself as a player to be relied upon in the clutch.

United prevailed 91-88 in a game that showcased Melbourne’s incredible depth and ability to adapt with key players missing.

Hopson shone bright, scoring a season-high 21 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists in his best game for United, while McCarron (17 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds) was involved in everything. Baba (15 points) was again a menace on defence and hit key shots.

The Hawks were led by Jessup (24 points) and Harvey (22 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists).

Next up for Melbourne is a match-up against the Cairns Taipans on Saturday night in Bendigo. Tip off is at 5:30pm. 

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