What happened to our home fortress?

It wasn’t long ago that WIN Entertainment Centre was a near-impregnable fortress for the Wollongong Hawks.Take the 2009-10 campaign, when the Hawks won 13 of 14 home games during the regular season and three of three playoff games.Their only aberration in 17 games at the WEC was a 23-point thrashing from Adelaide early in the season - an irony highlighted by the 36ers’ eighth-place finish.There were signs of slippage at home last season when the Hawks missed the top four by a single win.That they blew a big lead in a must-win game against Cairns a week before the end of the season, losing on the buzzer, underlined Wollongong’s increasing vulnerability on their home court.But last season’s issues might be small potatoes compared to their dismal record at the WEC in 2011-12.Of their five home games, the Hawks have prevailed once, beating Adelaide by eight in round two.Perhaps the most disturbing part of the equation is Wollongong’s losing margin in those four games - a whopping 16.25 points.‘‘When other teams walk into your gym and know you’re playing well, if you do get that 10-point lead, sometimes they’ll fall over,’’ 1th-year guard Mat Campbell observed this week.‘‘With us right now, when we get a double-digit lead, every team thinks we’ll give them a chance to get back in it.‘‘I look at some of the years when we’ve been up near the top of the ladder, we were one of those teams that other teams knew wouldn’t let them back in the game, especially on our home court. That’s where we have to get back to.’’Four of Wollongong’s five home games have fallen on a Sunday. Three of those were losses.Crowd figures are slightly down on last season and Hawks management has let NBL bosses know the Sunday-heavy schedule - especially the 7.30pm tip-off time to suit a television broadcast which isn’t even live (go figure) - hasn’t gone down well with the fans.There’s been a noticeable difference in the atmosphere and noise level, which doesn’t help a team which relies on a lively and enthusiastic crowd to be its sixth man.Sunday night is essentially a school night and that usually means an early night for a lot of the Hawks’ younger fans.Sunday night is for winding down and getting your mind around the fact the next day starts a new working week.Friday night basketball was always a hit with Wollongong supporters.Friday night is the start of the weekend. Friday night is party night. People are more relaxed and often more inclined to find their voice and get behind the home team.Whatever the case, the Hawks urgently need a win on Sunday night over the Perth Wildcats.They know they can’t rely on the crowd to carry them to victory, but a party in the stands might help spark a party on the court.