Jets fly-by Cavs; Wolves devour Phoenix; Cannons sink Pirates
Cavaliers started strong in their match up against old rivals DGU Jets this week. Both teams ran short benches, Cavaliers missing inside men Dave Minay and Les Winnicki, as well as guards Phil Evans & Dave Boyle, while Jets lacked Point Guard Tom Dalton-Brown and Power Forward Peter Boussougou. The shorter bench favoured Cavaliers at first though as they set a quick pace that led to opened up lanes for Wig Bregazzi and left Chris Wolfendale free around the perimeter. Jets engines were misfiring throughout the first quarter, and they were trailing 15-21 at the buzzer. A stronger performance in the second saw Jets pull ahead, with outside shooting from Thomas Crosbie and Paul Kilic the driving forces. Cavaliers still held onto their composure though, as Bregazzi and Wolfendale kept them within 4-points, 38-34 at the half.
Jets took flight in the third and fourth, a quicker pace down the court coupled with a well drilled offence that cracked open the Cavaliers defence through the drive and dish and baseline cuts. Crosbie again led the efforts, swishing a series of nice shots while picking up a string of foul free throws that extended the Jets lead. Well timed cuts from brothers Jake and Logan Glover had them free for easy mid-range shots and open lanes that saw Jets soar. Cavaliers fought through to the end, but the short bench took its toll through tiredness, and their scoring couldn’t keep pace. At the final whistle Jets had notched up their tenth consecutive win, 79-47.
The other games of the evening saw strong performances from Wolves and Cannons Elite as both teams notched solid wins in their league campaigns. Wolves were initially on the backfoot as Matthew Jones ran the lanes effectively with trails from Sully Forfar and Connor Moughtin. A late surge by Viktor Capkanovski put Wolves ahead at the end of the first, 24-18, and set off a tense second quarter that Pheonix won by a single point. The second half was dominated by Wolves defensive pressure though, containing Phoenix offence and allowing Wolves to run out the win, 91-58 at the buzzer.
Cannons Elite took control early on in their match against Cheldan Property Pirates though, with a 31-10 first quarter powered by the outside shooting of Jack Wilkinson, Gabe Thatcher and Rowan Coulter. Pirates fought their way back with an impressive 16-point unanswered run in the second quarter, with outside shooting from Jordan Brew complimenting a strong inside presence from John Russell. It was a short-lived revival though, Cannons reasserting their dominance in the third quarter and sealing the century win with a 36-10 fourth quarter that again saw Coulter splash from outside the arc. Final score, 100-50 to Cannons.
