Basketball On The Internet.

ILLAWARRA bounced back (as predicted) to enjoy two home wins - let's toast them with a beer? - and returned to contention, making the Hawks the NBL's Biggest Winners of the round.

SYDNEY was the Biggest Loser, hiding its woes behind the coach and consigning him to Taronga Park's Scapegoat Exhibit, along with five GMs. If Smoking Joe's arrival and the club publicly endorsing Cotter weren't sure signs he was a goner, I don't know what was. 

GETTING up to beat the Capitals in Canberra when they were fired up as not once before in nine losses, and also weathering some fairweather officiating, makes Melbourne the WNBL's Biggest Winner this round. That's even if Alice was in Wonderland, with hardly a stat in 23 minutes!

DON'T doubt for a second SEQ was the Biggest Loser, with import Denesha Stallworth sacked, Ibekwe iffy about staying, some coaching practices more in tune with a men's program and the place in danger of self-destructing, a 21-point home loss to Perth speaking volumes. 

NBL Round 8

ILLAWARRA HAWKS 96 (Penney 24, Ogilvy 20, Lisch 17; Ogilvy 10 rebs; Penney 8 assts) d SYDNEY KINGS 90 (Childress 20, Thornton 18, Garlepp 17, Khazzouh 11; Childress 15 rebs; Carter 3 assts) at the Sandpit. MELBOURNE UNITED 66 (Holt 20, Warrick 15, Kickert 9; Blanchfield 8 rebs; Goulding 5 assts) d TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES 63 (Steindl 25, Jett 17, Conklin 8; Kay 10 rebs; Kay, Jett 4 assts) at The Swamp. ADELAIDE 36ERS 88 (Randle 28, Johnson 17, Petrie 11, Ere 10; Creek, Gibson 6 rebs; Gibson 4 assts) d CAIRNS TAIPANS 83 (Worthington 19, Weigh 17, Gliddon 13; Worthington 6 rebs; Gliddon 5 assts) at Cairns Convention Centre. PERTH WILDCATS 86 (Beal 19, Prather 18, Jawai 15, Jervis 10; Jervis 10 rebs; Knight 5 assts) d NZ BREAKERS 80 (Webster 23, Ce Jackson 15, Ch Jackson 11; Ce Jackson 8 rebs; Ce Jackson 8 asts) at Perth Arena. ILLAWARRA HAWKS 108 (Penney 31, Lisch 15, Ogilvy 13, Coenraad 12, Forman 11; Davidson 9 rebs; Lisch 5 assts) d TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES 70 (Conklin 20, Kay 14, Jett 11; Maynard, Conklin 5 rebs; Djeric, Norton 4 assts) at The Sandpit, WIN Entertainment Centre.

WNBL Round 8

DANDENONG RANGERS 85 (Cumming 23, Pickrel 15, Kennedy 12; Todhunter 7 rebs; Todhunter 7 assts) d SYDNEY UNI FLAMES 65 (Ebzery 16, Swords 15, Tupaea 12, Samuels 10; Swords 13 rebs; Ebzery, Tupaea 2 assts) at Dandenong Basketball Stadium. MELBOURNE BOOMERS 66 (Madgen 19, Penaluna 15, Smart 13; Oliver, Penaluna 6 rebs; Garrick, Madgen 3 assts) d CANBERRA CAPITALS 61 (Montgomery 21, Talbot, Bishop 12; Bishop 8 rebs; Wehrung 5 assts) at Tuggeranong Basketball Stadium. TOWNSVILLE FIRE 91 (George 21, Tatham 18, Batkovic 16, Novosel 15, Cocks 14; George 17 rebs; Novosel 6 assts) d PERTH LYNX 81 (Whitcomb 28, Laney 20, Lavey 15; Burton 8 rebs; Tomlinson, Whitcomb 3 assts) at Townsville RSL Stadium. BENDIGO SPIRIT 89 (Snell 22, Harrington 18, Griffin 16, Richards 14; Snell 7 rebs; Wilson 8 assts) d ADELAIDE LIGHTNING 73 (Mitchell 16, Standish 15, Dombkins 10; Ruef 7 assts; Ciabattoni 4 assts) at Wayville Sports Centre. PERTH LYNX 85 (Laney 18, Whitcomb 17, Tomlinson 16, Burton, Lavey 12; Tomlinson, Whitcomb 9 rebs; Tomlinson 5 assts) d SEQ STARS 64 (Ibekwe 17, Lewis 13, Allen, Jarry 12; Lewis 7 rebs; Mansfield 3 assts) at Logan Metro Indoor Sports Centre.