Asa Schuster in Wollongong
The Wollongong Hawks have forced a deciding game in the NBL Grand Final Series, following a stirring 75-63 triumph over the Perth Wildcats at the WIN Entertainment Centre on Tuesday night.
Wollongong protected its home court in front of a sell-out crowd for the final time this season and the result means the Hawks suffered only one loss in 17 outings at the WIN Entertainment Centre.
The teams will now battle for the championship at Challenge Stadium in Perth on Friday night.
Cam Tragardh bounced back from his Game One let down, exploding for eight crucial points in the fourth quarter to steer the Hawks to victory.
Tragradh finished with a game-high 28 points, while Luke Martin was phenomenal during a whirlwind third period for Wollongong.
The speedy sparkplug notched nine of his 11 points in the pivotal stretch.
Kevin Lisch and Stephen Weigh were Perth's best with 11 and 10 points respectively, but the Cats suffered a horrific fourth quarter as Wollongong surged with its largest and loudest crowd of the year behind it.
Tragardh looked to establish himself in the paint early, providing the Hawks' first six points, but consecutive jumpers by Weigh sparked a 7-0 run to push the Cats ahead 12-6.
Perth later held a seven-point buffer with Galen Young finding some easy baskets in transition, eventually closing the quarter in front 20-16.
The Hawks clawed within one point on four occasions throughout the second term, but Perth continually found a way into the paint to preserve the lead.
Lisch and Rhys Martin exchanged baskets in the final minute of the half, with Perth clinging onto a slim 33-32 advantage.
Tragardh carried the load for Wollongong with 13 points in the half, while Weigh and Young combined for 13 to lead Perth.
Hawks coach Gordie McLeod inserted Dave Gruber into the starting line-up for the second half and the energetic American immediately repaid his coach by finding four quick points off the tip.
Gruber's initial score gave Wollongong its first lead since early in the opening stanza but Weigh quickly answered with a triple to erase the deficit.
Lisch tacked on another three to create a four-point buffer, but once again the Hawks remained in the chase thanks to a gutsy transition triple by Luke Martin.
After Tim Coenraad added a three and Martin connected a freakish banking triple, Wollongong had built a 49-44 advantage.
Martin Cattalini and Jesse Wagstaff linked up to pull the Cats back, Wagstaff's three-point play tied the game, before Wollongong escaped the quarter up 54-51.
A 6-2 spurt by the Hawks to open the fourth immediately had the Wildcats on the back foot.
And Wollongong led by as much as 12 after Luke Martin raced coast-to-coast with just over three minutes to play.
Wollongong Hawks 75 (Tragardh 28, L Martin 11, R Martin 10)
Perth Wildcats 63 (Lisch 11, Weigh 10, Redhage 9)
@ WIN Entertainment Centre, 9/3/2010. Crowd: 5786.