Jetting to Victory: Ravens post solid challenge to Jets
Ravens grounded Jets in the opening quarter of their Senior League match up this week as Ronan Thompson and Miltos Provatakis used quick pace and solid shooting to take the lead. Jets initially struggled with the defensive pressure but found a late reply from Revi Del Rosario’s mid-range pull ups. Foul free throws allowed Jets to edge ahead in the final minute, 13-12.
The second quarter opened with a solid performance inside from Peter Boussougou, Jets extending their lead by 4. Shots were less successful for Ravens at first, though Provatakis and Jake Glover kept them within striking distance of Jets through most of the second quarter. A run by Jake Glover, Wayne Mears and Danny Harrison was capped off by a swish 3 from Tom Dalton-Brown to push the Jets into a more comfortable lead 30-20 at halftime.
Injuries struck Ravens in the second half as Cormac Ewan and Ronan Thompson were both pulled out, hurting the defensive presence and pace down the court of the young side. Jets sensed their opportunity and extended their lead through with some quick breaks and good ball movement. Outside shooting in the final quarter pushed them further ahead as Ravens continued a valiant defence but struggled to convert on the other end of the floor. A final 3-pointer from Paul Kilic capped off the game for Jets who took a solid win, 63-34.
The second game of the evening was a close affair between Hoops and Turkeys, with outside shooting proving the key to success. It was Turkeys who made first inroads as Chris Wolfendale sank the 3 and Wig Bregazzi found a lane for the layup. Hoops were quick to respond though, Gemma Kirkham making her presence felt on the inside with a string of baskets. The teams traded the lead throughout the first, two 3-points from Becky Dunne tying the scores, 15-15, at the end of the first.
The second saw another good start for Turkeys with some early baskets but again Hoops were able to quickly respond with Dunne and Kirkham drawing the team’s level. They stayed neck and neck coming up to the half but a late 3-point from Wolfendale gave Turkeys the edge, 28-25 at halftime. The basket proved a marker for the rest of the game as Wolfendale proceeded to hit 4 more to power Turkeys ahead despite a solid Hoops defence. Struggling to convert in the second half, Hoops gradually fell further behind. Despite some green shoots from rookie Caitlin Henry, and Dunne and Kirkham finding better form in the final quarter, Turkeys had built a solid lead and ran out the game, 76-45. With this win Turkeys still have chance to tie for 3rd seed if they can take down Cavaliers in their final regular season game next week.
The final game of the evening was a lively affair between Cavaliers and Wolves, with Wolves claiming a 59-36 victory through solid defensive pressure. Play of the day goes to Kyle Mills who threaded a pass through the defence into the hands of Cameron Scott for perfect layup.
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Thursday sees the final round of the regular season with Ravens facing Hoops at 19:00 and Turkeys taking on Cavaliers at 20:30. It’s all to play for between Wolves and Jets, also at 20:30, as both teams have matching records at the top of the table. The winner of that match up will take first seed in the championship and claim the first silverware of the 2023/24 league season for top place finish. All games are in the NSC Main Hall with seating available for spectators.
