South East Melbourne ended a three-game losing streak with a 113-96 victory over last-placed Illawarra at John Cain Arena on Sunday. The Phoenix were led by captain Nathan Sobey, who contributed 24 points, six rebounds, and six assists in the win.
The contest was tightly contested early in the second quarter, featuring four lead changes and three ties in a span of five minutes, with the score locked at 35-all. South East Melbourne then surged ahead with a decisive 24-4 run, including 13 consecutive points sparked by Sobey, building a 59-39 lead before halftime.
Illawarra struggled to recover in the third quarter, falling behind 71-49 at one point. The Hawks mounted a brief comeback with a 20-9 run fueled by Milton Doyle, who posted 14 points and 11 assists, and Johny Narkle. However, the Phoenix quickly regained control, scoring 24 of the next 34 points with Dash Daniels playing a key role. Daniels finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, while D’Shawn Schwartz added 15 points and five boards for South East Melbourne.
The Phoenix dominated the rebounding battle, particularly in the third quarter, where they out-rebounded Illawarra 36-22. South East Melbourne also excelled beyond the arc, shooting 40 percent (16-of-40) compared to the Hawks’ 21 percent (5-of-24). Illawarra’s struggles were compounded by poor discipline, resulting in South East Melbourne earning 43 free-throw attempts and converting 29 points from the line, while the Hawks managed only 16 attempts with an 82 percent conversion rate.
Coming off a strong win against the 2026 grand finalists Adelaide just days earlier, Illawarra appeared fatigued and passive defensively, factors that South East Melbourne exploited. Illawarra’s Kelan Martin scored 17 points, but the team was unable to sustain momentum after their early second-quarter run.
Illawarra coach Justin Tatum acknowledged the team’s dramatic decline in form over the 48-hour span and indicated he expects accountability from his players. “Coming off a high of being at home for the first home win and playing a really good team Adelaide and then coming out here with not the same intensity or desire to want to reciprocate the same thing, that’s something that my players have got to kind of answer,” Tatum said.
South East Melbourne’s ability to control the boards and improve ball handling after early turnovers proved decisive, allowing them to snap their losing streak and reinforce their position in the league standings.