NEWCASTLE coach Chloe Mullaney wants her team to become more resilient and ruthless after the Hunters took their time seeing off Hills Hornets 67-56 in the Waratah Basketball League women's game at Newcastle Basketball Stadium on Saturday night.
The Hunters led 18-13 at quarter-time and 34-29 at the main break and looked like they were in control for most of the contest, but the Hornets hit back in the third period and the teams were locked up 48-48 heading into the final term.
After trading baskets in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, guard Elle Carroll scored to give the Hunters a 54-52 lead with seven minutes to go and they proceeded to register their second win from as many games.
Co-captain Mikaela Dombkins posted a game-high 27 points and added 10 rebounds, five assists and a steal to lead Newcastle's scoring effort.
Dombkins had solid support from Carroll (12 points, eight rebounds, three assists), co-captain Alison Ebzery (eight points, 12 rebounds, two assists, two steals), Megan Johnson (nine points, nine rebounds) and Rachael McGinniskin (eight points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals).
"It was just good to play again, for basketball in general, to be playing again here in Newcastle in front of our home crowd, so that was good to get a win in front of them," Mullaney said.
"The game itself was basket for basket for a lot of it, and I thought we let them get back into the game, so we need to be better at getting through the lows you will have in any game.
"But in saying that ... we're getting better each game that we play together so we just need to keep doing that with each game."
Turnovers and poor free-throw shooting proved the difference in the men's game as the Hunters (2-1) suffered their first loss of the season, going down 78-73 to Hills in overtime. Newcastle committed 17 turnovers to the Hornets' seven, made just 17 of 31 attempts from the free-throw line (54 per cent), and could not capitalise on a 63-37 rebounding dominance.
Hills led 45-40 at three-quarter time and extended that to 47-40 but the Hunters rallied with a 7-0 run to tie the game at 47-47.
Newcastle forward Chier Maker (29 points, 18 rebounds) levelled the scores at 65-65 with a tough shot in the paint with 10.8 seconds remaining.
Maker had a chance to give the Hunters a possible match-winning lead as he was fouled while shooting but he missed the bonus free throw attempt, then Hills guard Liam Moss missed a contested lay-up as time expired.
Newcastle co-captain Myles Cherry tallied 14 points and 19 rebounds but could not buy a free throw, making just two of 10 from the line, and Matur Maluach added 19 points and seven boards.
"I was surprised that we were still in it at the end of the third quarter but knowing our group, I figured we were a chance," Newcastle coach Rex Nottage said.
"But the weight of turnovers and missed free throws coupled with some poor defence down the stretch proved too much for us to overcome. It's a tough loss but in the end, I think it was on us, not so much Hills."
Newcastle's next games will be against Norths at the Bear Cave next Saturday night.
AAP reports: Sydney Kings produced their best form of the NBL season to claim a dramatic 79-75 overtime victory over the Illawarra Hawks on Saturday.
In other games, ladder leaders Melbourne United beat Adelaide 36ers 92-78 to notch their ninth win in a row, Perth Wildcats downed Brisbane 92-74, and South-East Melbourne beat Cairns 86-66.
