And sometimes the difference between winning and losing often seems to fall into the hands of an import - just ask the Port Macquarie Dolphins.

Daniel Calcatera broke the hearts of a brave Dolphins side with a buzzer-beating two-point play on Saturday night that lifted Hawkesbury Jets to a 71-69 win.

It was after Torren Hunter had drained a three-pointer before Jake Wallis then drew the hosts level with just 1.2 seconds left on the clock.

"The buzzer was going as the ball went through the basket," Dolphins coach Mark Champion lamented.

"In 1.2 seconds you can really only in-board the ball, catch and shoot.

"It was well defended, but their import got off a shot and it went in. Sometimes you've just got to tip your hat and say well done."

The Dolphins have now had five losses by 11 points or less this season.

Champion said their fourth-quarter effort on Saturday is what their level needed to be at for the entire match.

"Saturday night was by far and away the closest result," he said.

"We started too slow and just didn't have the level of focus and intensity that it takes to win at state league for the whole game.

"There were no spots where we played badly which was a positive, but we got off to a slow start and were missing makeable shots."

The Dolphins did a "pretty good job" of containing Calcatera for most of the match.

"You get these imports who are imports for a reason," Champion said.

"You can do a good job of containing them for the whole game and then they step up when they're needed.

"It helps to have a shotmaker in that situation who can get you a bucket and that's something we don't have."

The coach felt for teenager Will Smith who was given court time following the final timeout with 1.2 seconds left on the clock.

"He was heartbroken," Champion said.

"We put him in the game because he's been playing such a good defence in the last couple of weeks and he guarded their import really well and did everything he could do.

"The guy made a shot over his hand so you couldn't ask him to do anything more."

The result was another tough lesson for the Dolphins in a season that has already handed out a number of them.

"It's not the last shot that's the problem," the coach said.

"Because if they play with the intensity they played with in the last few minutes for the whole game, we wouldn't have been in a tight game.

"You've got to compete every minute for 40 minutes at your best if you want to win in state league."

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