South Spotlight | Hawks continue strong late form

Featured image: Shane Panther | @shanejpg.sport

The Ringwood Hawks might still just end up short of an NBL1 South playoff spot but they are finishing the season in strong fashion after Sunday's 95-76 home victory against the Bendigo Braves.

The Hawks did open the season losing six of their first seven games so have been playing catch up the rest of the way and given they will lose the season splits against the Kilsyth Cobras, Sandringham Sabres and Casey Cavaliers they are competing with, they might not quite be able to sneak into the top 10.

But it still has been an encouraging finish to the season and again on Sunday at The Rings they had a massive 37 points to nine second quarter to set them on the path to the eventual 19-point victory against the Braves.

That means Ringwood have now won six of the last 10 games, and nine of the last 14, to be sitting on a 10-11 record with one game to go but they are unlucky to leapfrog any of those teams above them into a top 10 position even with a final round win against Waverley.

Bendigo are now 7-13 on the back of six straight defeats after their lone appearance of the weekend.

>> SOUTH SPOTLIGHT | KNOX OVERPOWER KILSYTH IN Q4

>> SOUTH SPOTLIGHT | FROLING, PALMER DELIVER RANGERS CRUCIAL WIN

>> SOUTH SPOTLIGHT | SPECTRES SURVIVE COBRAS IN OT

>> SOUTH WRAP | MEN'S FIRST NATIONS ROUND

The Ringwood Hawks might still not quite be able to break into the playoffs given where they stand against those other teams they are competing as they ended up shooting 46 per cent from the field to 39 along with 9/30 to 5/28 from the outside, and 18/20 to 9/15 from the foul line along with forcing Bendigo into 14 turnovers.

Ringwood are now 10-11 with the pair of wins this weekend with Harry Sealey producing 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists with 9/13 field goal shooting and going 2/2 from the outside.

Jonathan Lawton had 10 points in the first quarter on the way to 18 for the game with seven assists with Lawson Eales contributing 17 points, 10 boards, three blocks and two steals, Tom Carroll 15 points, three rebounds and three assists, and Mitch Dielemans 10 points, four boards and two assists.

Bendigo are now 7-13 following their lone appearance of the round with Biwali Bayles producing 21 points, seven rebound and four assists while Billy Smythe contributed 14 points and nine boards.

Jarvis Doles added 15 points, 11 rebounds and two steals, Jordan Straatsma 10 points, three blocks, two boards and two assists, and Seth Anderson six points and three rebounds.

Ringwood kept their playoff hopes just alive with the thrilling win the night before against Geelong while Bendigo were out of contention but trying to avoid a sixth straight defeat.

It was a tight battle in the first quarter with 24 points apiece with the Braves going 10/18 from the field to the 8/20 from the Hawks who did get to the foul line six times to three with Jonathan Lawton up to 10 points.

It was then all Ringwood in the second quarter with 37 points to nine with them shooting 13/20 from the field and 5/7 from the outside along with 6/6 at the foul line.

At the same time, Bendigo went just 3/19 from the floor and the Hawks went into the half-time break leading 61-33.

Even though Bendigo outscored Ringwood from there in the second half with 43 points to 34 on shooting 18/42 up against 13/34, but it mattered little with the Braves ending up winning by 19 to keep their playoff hopes somewhat alive with one game, and one round, remaining in the regular season.

Bendigo now finish their season at home to Keilor Thunder on Friday night and away to the Kilsyth Cobras on Saturday while Ringwood have just one game to go and that's on Saturday on the road to the Waverley Falcons.

NBL1 SOUTH 2026 SEASON | FIRST NATIONS ROUND

RINGWOOD HAWKS 95 (Sealey 22, Lawton 18, Eales 17)

BENDIGO BRAVES 76 (Bayles 21, Doles 15, Smythe 14)