The Exodus Saints return to the top of the table, after a thrilling 84-80 win over the HBS Bank Hawks.  

Lindsay Tait had a game high twenty five points, adding six assists and five rebounds, while former Hawk Kareem Johnson collected a double-double of ten points and twelve rebounds.

Hawks will be kicking themselves after, they came back from an early seventeen point deficit to take a 72-67 lead with under four minutes remaining in regulation time, when Josh Pace (23 points) made a driving lay in.

But a three from Corey Webster (16 points) and a put back by Johnson tied the scores at 72 a piece.

Jarrod Kenny who had an efficient fourteen, made two clutch free throws to put the Hawks in front 74-72 with a little over one minute left.

Saints will have painful memories of the last time the two teams met, when they made a costly turnover in the back court, which lead to a Galen Young game winning field goal.

It was deja vu when the Saints carelessly threw the ball away after securing a rebound. But the Hawks were unable to convert.

In what was arguably the most pivotal play of the game, was when the Saints turned the ball over again, which led to a two on one situation with Pace and Paora Winitana (19 points) going against Erron Maxey in what should of been an easy basket to push the Hawks lead to four.

Pace dished to Winitana for the lay up, which nine times out of ten you would expect the him to convert on, but he slightly overcooked it, which was proceeded by a driving lay up by Webster to put the scores even at 74 all.

With forty seconds left, the Hawks had a chance to take the lead, but a Pace turnover from a driving dish, allowed the visitors for a game winning attempt with under twenty five seconds remaining.

In a flurry of events, Maxey had a chance to win the game, with a deep three at the top of the key which fell short, meaning the game would go to an extra period.

In what was a physical contest with total of forty seven fouls called, the Saints had to do the extra period without Casey Frank who fouled out in the late stages of the fourth.

Hawks also dangerously close to having some of their players fouled out with three players with four fouls.

In overtime the home side scored first, with a Pace make, but the Saints scored the next seven points to push their lead to 81-76 with under two minutes left.

Four straight points to the Hawks closed the gap to one point, and they had an opportunity to take the lead with a Wintana three with twenty seven seconds left.

But it was not to be, forcing the Bay to foul Tait who converted on both his free throws, pushing lead to 83-80.

A turnover by Young with 14 seconds to go, mean’t the Hawks would have to foul Tait again. But this time he missed both of his attempts, which was unable to be secured by the Hawks.

Johnson grabbing the offensive rebound, quickly dishing it to Webster who made one from the charity stripe, to make it a two possession ball game with six seconds left.

Hawk unable to score slumping to their fourth loss in their last six played.

Things get tricky for the Hawks to secure automatic entry into the final four, probably needing to win the remainder of their games and finish with a better record than either the Saints or the Waikato Pistons, who now look the firm favourites to finish first or second.

Saints are now in a great position to secure a top two spot from this win, with tie break advantages over the Pistons and the Hawks, which means they will only have to win one of their remaining three games to clinch an automatic semi.

If Saints lose their remaining games, then it could give the Giants a sniff of a top two finish, if they win the rest of their’s, thanks to holding the tie break over them.