SOLENT Stars returned to winning ways with a 82-74 home victory over Hackney, a fast start being the key to the success.

Hackney arrived late for the game, delaying the start by 30 minutes, and paid a dear price when Solent opened up a 25-4 lead by the sixth minute.

To add to Hackney's woes, their main scoring threat, Damion Modeste, was called for an unsportsmanlike technical foul - for something said in the referee's hearing - which gifted Alan McDonald with two more points from the free throw line.

Solent continued to pile on the agony with three-pointers from Dominique Jones (2) and Mark Jackson, who had passed a late fitness test.

Six of the Solent players contributed to the first quarter scoring of an unusually high 33 points, more remarkable for Solent since they were without injured leading scorer David Butterworth and Trevor Donaldson.

After a slow start to the second quarter, the home supporters were once again put to the test when Solent, after establishing a 27-point lead (47-20) in the fifth minute were only able to add three more points in the remaining five minutes. Hackney, encouraged by Solent's inability to score and not being able to handle the pressure defence, raised their game and in the same period added 17 points.

Coach Mark Scott, below, did not call a time-out in the second quarter - or indeed in the match - but relied rather on switching players in and out of the game, but to no avail.

In a scrappy and unproductive first two minutes of the second half, only Mark Jackson was able to score. Once the scoring did begin, it was Hackney who were more successful and after six minutes of the quarter Solent's lead was reduced to just nine points (56-47).

It was a timely three-pointer by Mark Jackson that provided the impetus for Solent to start scoring again and end the quarter with an 11-point lead (65-54).

Hackney were first off the mark in the final quarter and came to within seven points (67-60) before Adam Willis settled the Solent nerves with a basket, followed soon after by two free throws.

Hackney were again showing more urgency and athleticism than the home team, who looked in vain to American Dominique Jones to add more than just four points from the 15th minute of the game. It was left to the scoring of guards Alan McDonald and Mark Jackson to see Solent home.

A late three-pointer by Modeste had brought Hackney to within four points (78-74) with just one minute remaining. One successful free throw from Mark Jackson, followed by one from Alan McDonald with ten seconds remaining made the game safe. By then the Hackney team had been called to the side of the court by their coach and the referee ordered that the game clock be restarted so that the last ten seconds were wound down with Solent celebrating on-court their second league win from three games.

SCORERS

SOLENT: Mark Jackson 20 Dominique Jones 18 Alan McDonald 13 Adam Willis 11 Chris Glover 9 John Neale 7 Anthony Rutter 2 Ollie Marsh 2.

HACKNEY: Damion Modeste 19 Wale Akerele 14 Perry Lawson 14 Adonis Marina 6 Grant Ebanja 6 Andrew Nyeko 6 Richard Marsden 5 Keiron Paris 4.

Attendance: 175.