ANENDRA SINGH | 26th June 2010
GOING UP: Hawks import Jon Rogers defies gravity for a basket as teammate Jarrod Kenny watches and Saints' Nick Horvath waits for a rebound.
Paul Henare unzipped the kit bag and white shirts spilled out on to the floor of the changing room.
Any other game night of the National Basketball League (NBL) no one would have even cast a sideways glance because that's the colour the 0800 Easy LPG Hawks players' religiously don away from home.
But last night, the players' hearts missed a beat or two.
Franchise owner Rod Earnshaw had brought the gear but it needed to be black because hosts Wellington Saints were historically supporting the All Whites.
Somebody ran out, someone ran in, with head coach Shawn Dennis and his assistant, Kirstin Daly, in tow. The furrows across their foreheads spoke volumes.
Just then a player opened the second bag and problem solved.
Just as the All Whites had opted for black shirts yesterday morning in South Africa, it hardly mattered whether it was black or white.
If anything, it was black and white, really - win or else it's the end of the road for one team in the rip-snorting semifinals.
The Hawks succumbed, 98-92 against the Saints, taking to the TSB Bank Arena with a spring in their step to the tune of Cook Island drums.
The Hawks had a 23-19 edge in the first octane-charged quarter as guard Everard Bartlett spearheaded attacks to score before US import Josh Pace picked it up and forward Jon Rogers dunked.
Small forward Chris Daniel found out early he was in a play-off battle. Physiotherapist Colin Tutchen had done running repairs on his chin and got him to lie down after he put his tooth through his tongue.
The second half ended with Dennis kicking a hoarding as the hosts came away with a whopping 28-20 reply and 47-41 ahead at halftime.
In the changing rooms, centre Miles Pearce said they were missing off the free-throw line and gifting the Saints too many second chances.
Pace said: ``We're done talking, guys. We've just got to get those rebounds. Let's go there's only six points in it.''
The sorry Socceroos could have done with Dennis' kicking skills and the whiteboard in the changing rooms would testify to that effect, if only it could speak.
Dennis said the Saints had scored 15-3 points off rebounds and Casey Frank had six rebounds.
The hard word was relayed to the Hawks hitman: ``Do something to Casey Frank.''
Emphasised Dennis: ``Almost will not be good enough. This game will come down to rebounding.''
In the third quarter, Hawks started well but both sides were guilty of making unforced errors.
The visitors' still didn't look hungry enough in defensive rebounds as Saints US import Erron Maxey's dunk set the tone for the hosts to take the 10-minute joust, 21-20.
In the final quarter Maxey was the late bloomer, surging up on the electronic scoreboard with 24 unanswered points and another dunk for good measure with four minutes left on the clock.
Devendorf scored a field goal and the referee yelled ``And one!'' but he missed as the Saints led 85-80.
With 1.50 minutes left, Saints led 87-82 as the Hawks conceded free throws from five team fouls.
With 23.9 seconds left, Ben Hill dropped a huge three-pointer to give the Hawks a fighting chance with the score at 92-89.
Pace's sideline pass to Daniel spelt disaster as the tight Saints defence got the ball back from the base line.
With 12.3 seconds remaining, referee Dallas Pickering made a huge call for a backcourt violation on Pace and the Saints Go Marching In booming through the sound system summed it up I the dying few seconds.
The hosts' bench players were exchanging testosterone-filled hugs and back slaps for a trip to Mooloo land on Tuesday for the first of the best-of-three finals after the Waikato Pistons beat the Nelson Giants 74-62.
Pace had a match-high 30 points with Rogers and Daniel adding 16 each.
