Hawks Continue To Grow In Preseason
In their second preseason outing, the West Yorkshire Hawks delivered a commanding performance, cruising past the Barrow Thorns 97-48 at the University of Huddersfield. The Hawks showcased both their offensive firepower and defensive intensity, particularly in the second half, pulling away for an emphatic 49-point win.
The Thorns started strong, disrupting the Hawks’ offensive flow early. Barrow’s tight defense threw the Hawks off balance in the opening minutes, forcing some uncharacteristic misses. But midway through the first quarter, Hawks found their rhythm. With a combination of sharp ball movement and fast-break opportunities, the Hawks took control and managed to carve out an 11-point lead by the end of the first quarter, 22-11.
The second quarter saw both teams finding more offensive consistency. Barrow’s attack began to fire, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap. Led by Rob Donaldson’s scoring burst, the Hawks continued to build their lead. By halftime, the score read 46-26, with the Hawks taking a commanding 20-point cushion into the locker room.
Coming out for the third quarter, the Hawks were locked in. They exploded for 33 points in a dominant quarter, shutting down Barrow’s offense and forcing numerous turnovers. Defensively, Hawks turned the screws, allowing only 11 points in the period piling on the points at the other end. By the time the third quarter ended, the game was effectively over, with the Hawks holding a 79-37 lead.
With the outcome no longer in doubt, the Hawks eased into cruise control in the final quarter, though Barrow continued to fight hard until the final buzzer. The Hawks added another 18 points to their total in the final ten minutaes, wrapping up a dominant performance.
Rob Donaldson led all scorers with 26 points, while Allie Fullah, Kesh Jalota, and Dave Walsh contributed 12 each. Hassan Haq also chipped in with 11 points, rounding out a well-balanced offensive display. Donaldson’s scoring touch remains pivotal for this team, but the overall depth is what makes the Hawks dangerous as they prepare for the regular season.
After the game, Dave Walsh emphasised the importance of defense moving forward: “For us, it is just about getting better every week and putting more intensity into the defensive end.” Hawks head coach Danny Byrne echoed the sentiment, praising Barrow’s effort while acknowledging room for improvement. “Barrow really came to play. They gave us a real good going over in the first quarter. I think we were better this week. Still some sloppiness on defense, but I think we’ll be ready to go for the start of the season.”
With one more preseason game remaining against the Stockport Falcons, the Hawks are honing in on their form ahead of the regular season tip-off on 29th September when they take to the road to face Stockport Falcons in the season curtain raiser.