Gleeson Hails Efforts Of Ailing Warhorses

Illawarra Mercury

Tuesday January 1, 2008

Tim Keeble

TOWNSVILLE coach Trevor Gleeson tipped his hat to courageous Hawks guards Mat Campbell and Kavossy Franklin after Friday's clash.

Franklin broke down with a knee injury at training two days before the game and Wollongong coach Eric Cooks gave him little chance of playing.

Campbell has been battling an Achilles injury for more than two months and generally limps around between games.

But the pair was instrumental in the Hawks' 22-point victory, scoring 18 points apiece and nailing clutch shots in the second half.

"Mat Campbell's a great player and to come out and play the game he did, he showed tremendous leadership, and Kavossy was very smart at what he was doing," Gleeson said.

"We knew there was a lot of emotion coming into this game. There's some guys who are very passionate about the game here and they deserve the credit when they play well and lead the team like that."

Wollongong led virtually from start to finish and only let the Crocs get close once late in the third quarter.

"Full credit to the Hawks. They played a good brand of basketball and we knew they'd come out very passionate," Gleeson said.

"They played strong, they played together, they played physical. They've been playing well for the last three or four games and we knew they were going to get a win soon. We were just hoping to match that and carry on our good form."

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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