BIO: Damon Lowery was born in Saginaw, Michigan (USA).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Damon Lowery made his NBL debut with the Wollongong Hawks at 30 years of age. He scored three points in his first game.

The 2000/01 season was a career-defining one for Damon Lowery, as he helped lead the Wollongong Hawks to their first-ever NBL Championship. It was an unlikely rise for Lowery, who had spent years dominating the Australian Basketball Association (ABA) before finally getting his shot in the NBL. After becoming a naturalized Australian, Brendan Joyce recruited him from the Kilsyth Cobras, bringing in a veteran floor leader known for his clutch play and elite 85 percent free throw shooting.

With Lowery running the backcourt, the Hawks boasted one of the most balanced offenses in the league. Alongside Melvin Thomas (18.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists), Charles Thomas (16.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists), and Glen Saville (15.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists), Lowery played the role of the steady hand, keeping the offense moving while providing timely scoring. He averaged 13.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists across the season, delivering on-court leadership when it mattered most.

Wollongong finished the regular season with a franchise-best 21-7 record, tying with Perth but placing fourth due to the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Hawks thrived in tight games, going 12-0 in contests decided by three points or fewer, and finished with the league’s best road record at 12-2. Despite their success, no Hawks player was named to the All-NBL First or Second Team, further reinforcing the team’s balanced, unselfish style in a league where star duos dominated.

The qualifying finals saw the Hawks take on Perth, and they got off to a strong start with a 97-90 Game 1 victory at home. Melvin Thomas (22 points, 13 rebounds) led the way, while Lowery (19 points), Charles Thomas (10 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists), and Mat Campbell (10 points and 5 rebounds) provided valuable contributions.

In Game 2 in Perth, the Wildcats bounced back with a 106-95 win, despite Lowery adding 12 points. The Hawks regrouped for the decisive Game 3, where they pulled off a stunning 98-88 upset. Glen Saville (26 points, 16 rebounds) and Lowery (20 points) were instrumental, while Charles Thomas (16 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) helped Wollongong secure their first-ever playoff series victory.

The semi-finals against Adelaide would turn Lowery into an NBL legend. The series opener in Adelaide saw him score 12 points as the Hawks escaped with a thrilling 84-83 win. The series moved to Wollongong for Game 2, where the 36ers bounced back to win 111-100, despite Lowery chipping in 9 points.

Then came Game 3—one of the most famous moments in NBL history.

The deciding game at WIN Entertainment Centre was a scrappy, nerve-wracking contest, with both teams missing game-clinching opportunities in the final moments. As the final seconds ticked away, Lowery launched a desperate three-pointer, only to have it blocked by Adelaide’s Darnell Mee. However, the referees called a foul, sending Lowery to the free-throw line with no time remaining.

With players removed from the key, Lowery faced a pressure-packed moment—hit one free throw, the Hawks would lose; make two, they would force overtime; drain all three, and Wollongong would advance to the Grand Final.

The first free throw bounced on the rim before finally dropping through.

The second shot rattled off the backboard and in.

The third and final free throw was a scene straight out of a Hollywood movie—it bounced six times around the rim, while Lowery dropped to his knees, hands in prayer, before the ball finally fell through the net. The WIN Entertainment Centre exploded, as the Hawks advanced to their first-ever Grand Final.

Lowery had etched his name in NBL folklore, delivering one of the most iconic moments in league history.

The 2001 NBL Grand Final saw Wollongong take on Townsville, and the Hawks opened with a 104-101 victory in Game 1 at home. Lowery struggled offensively, finishing with just 5 points, but the Hawks held on to take a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2 in Townsville saw the Crocodiles respond, winning 114-97. This time, Lowery bounced back in a big way, scoring a playoff career-high 25 points, but the Hawks were unable to slow Townsville’s offensive firepower.

The championship-deciding Game 3, played the very next day, was a grueling battle between two relentless teams. The Hawks leaned on their blue-collar mentality, grinding out a 97-94 victory to secure their first-ever NBL title. Charles Thomas (23 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists) led the way, while Glen Saville (18 points and 12 rebounds) was named NBL Finals MVP. Lowery (13 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) contributed in the decisive game, helping Wollongong make history as the first New South Wales team to win an NBL Championship.

Brendan Joyce was named NBL Coach of the Year, while Axel Dench won NBL Rookie of the Year. But the biggest story of the playoffs was Damon Lowery’s heroics in the semi-final series against Adelaide.

The Hawks went on to face the Townsville Crocodiles in the 2001 NBL Grand Final, winning game one at home 104-101, a game Lowery struggled in, scoring a modest five points. The series would shift to Townsville for games two and three and the Crocodiles rebounded at home winning the second game 114–97 despite Lowery scoring a playoff career high 25 points. game three was a gruelling matchup, played the very next day where the blue-collar Hawks snuck out the three-point victory 97-94, Charles Thomas top scoring with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. Glen Saville would add 18 points and 12 rebounds, and claim the NBL Finals MVP while Lowery contributed 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists in the deciding game. The Hawks 2–1 victory saw them become the first New South Wales club to win a NBL championship.

2001/02
In 2001/02, Lowery averaged 10.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, playing a key role in the Hawks rotation, helping the team finish in fourth place (16-14).

2002/03
The 2002/03 season saw Lowery average 11.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists and play a key role in helping the Hawks to a fourth place finish (18-12).

2003/04
During the 2003/04 season Lowery averaged 11.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists and helped the Hawks finish the regular season in second place (25-8 ).

HUNTER PIRATES
2004/05
In the Pirates second NBL season, Adrian Hurley was enticed out of semi-retirement to take on the role of head coach. Feeling that the team’s roster was weak and a direct result for their poor performance last season. Hurley retained only three players, Geordie Cullen, Brendan Mann and Josh Morgan from the previous season’s squad that won only two games.

Ben Melmeth (via New Zealand), Russell Hinder (via West Sydney), Brad Davidson (via Townsville), Damon Lowery (via Townville) and Larry Davidson formed the Pirates new look roster and imports Brian Wethers and Kavossy Franklin were signed to provide offensive scoring power.

Under the guidance of former Australian coach Adrian Hurley, the Pirates became a force to be reckoned with and after a slow start (1-4), the Pirates began reeling off victories against some of the league’s best team’s, including a away win over Perth (83-77) and defeating league leaders Wollongong (90–81). Ten games into the season and the Pirates sat in fifth spot on the ladder (5-5) with much of the credit going to the unselfish play of imports Brian Wethers (24.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists) and Kavossy Franklin (20.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.2 steals).

Weathers would go on to be selected in the All-NBL first team and win the league’s Most Valuble Player award and after winning the last two games of the season, Hunter would secure the final playoff berth and finish in eighth place (13-15).

In the Elimination Finals, however, Hunter fell short to Brisbane (99-113), a loss which ended playoff run.

Lowery would appear in 15 games and average 8.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals.

TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES
2005/06
The Crocodiles entered the season with significant roster changes. Pat Reidy retired, while Derek Moore and import Robert Brown exited the team. Larry Abney was signed to replace Brown, bringing athleticism and rebounding, while veteran guard Damon Lowery (via Wollongong) was added for experience. Development player Michael Cedar was elevated to the main roster to inject youthful energy.

Lowery stepped into a veteran leadership role, backing up John Rillie in the backcourt while offering grit and poise off the bench. He opened the season with 11 points (5-8 FG), 2 assists, and 4 rebounds in a 111–97 road win over West Sydney, a promising sign of his ability to complement Townsville’s core of Newley, Abney, and Calvary.

Townsville built early momentum with wins over Adelaide (108–100), Perth (124–108), and the New Zealand Breakers (122–113), starting the year at 4–1. However, from Round 5, they lost nine of their next ten games, including a heavy 128–94 loss to Sydney and a 104–99 defeat to the Hunter Pirates where Lowery added 6 points and 4 rebounds in a solid supporting role.

Amidst the midseason slump, Lowery provided key contributions in competitive matchups. Against the Pirates in February, he recorded 16 points, 3 assists, and 4 rebounds in one of his strongest performances of the year, hitting 5-of-10 from the field and 5-of-6 at the line. In a road loss to Wollongong (105–99), he posted 6 points and 4 rebounds while keeping Townsville competitive deep into the contest.

Lowery’s impact continued in smaller moments, including a perfect 2-of-2 outing from three-point range and the stripe in a 128–94 loss to Sydney, where he added 5 points in limited minutes. He was reliable from the free-throw line (70.1% FT across the season) and offered steady defensive effort throughout.

In total, Damon Lowery (5.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists across 32 games) played a vital veteran role on a Crocodiles squad that leaned heavily on youth. His season-high came against Hunter (16 points), and he added double-digit scoring nights against West Sydney (11 points), New Zealand, and Wollongong, showing flashes of his scoring touch.

Despite standout seasons from Larry Abney (20.1 points, 11.3 rebounds), Brad Newley (19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists), and Casey Calvary (17.3 points, 7.1 rebounds), Townsville’s defensive issues and inconsistent rotations contributed to a 9–23 finish. The team missed the playoffs and ended the season in ninth place.

Newley capped off his breakout campaign with selection to the 2006 NBL All-Star Game and earned All-NBL Second Team honours. John Rillie (15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists) and Robert Rose (8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists) anchored the veteran core, while Damon Lowery and Kelvin Robertson (7.8 points, 2.0 assists) provided reliable depth in the backcourt. Following the conclusion of the season, head coach Ian Stacker was not retained, and both Lowery and Rose were not re-signed as the club looked to refresh its roster.

Damon Lowery played six seasons across three NBL teams. This included the Wollongong Hawks, Hunter Pirates and Townsville Crocodiles. He averaged 10.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 185 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (854 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.