Wolves bite in fourth quarter victory

Cannons were firing on target in the opening quarter of their match up against Wolves this week. Quick ball movement and saw openings for Rowan Coulter and Oliver Hamilton while Jack Wilkinson swished an outside shot to extend an early lead. Wolves struggled to finish in the opening minutes as an active Cannons defence pressured Point Guard Viktor Capkanovski and shut down big man Cameron Scott on the inside. Scott started to breakthrough in the final few minutes of the first, joined inside by Oli Penfold, and a swish 3-pointer from Capkanovski drew Wolves level. It looked to be a tied quarter until a mid-range pull up from Wilkinson in the dying seconds gave Cannons the edge, 13-11 on the buzzer.

The second quarter opened to a flurry of outside shots from Cannons, Oliver Hamilton and Rowan Coulter finding the mark and keeping the young side out ahead of Wolves. Solid ball movement and late crashes saw Cannons pick up plenty of second chance opportunities that were capitalised on with kick outs and quick swings. Wolves continued to struggle to create, with a string of offences lost to misjudged passes and dead-end drives. The game stayed close though, as Ben Campbell and Michael Connolly ground out points through foul free-throws off the drive. Cannons started to build some momentum in the final few minutes, led by drives from Hamilton and Raf Turla, and capped off by a corner 3 from Kyle Furlong. Wolves were left reeling until two strong inside moves from Scott narrowed the margin in the ninth minute, ending 31-27 to Cannons at halftime.

Trademark defensive chants echoed from the Cannons bench as the third quarter underway and an early basket from Wilkinson set them up to build momentum. The Wolves response came in the very next play as Seb Smith drove the middle to sink a solid jump shot, which he swiftly followed with a swish 3-pointer infront of the chanting Cannons bench. It helped to stunt the Cannons momentum and started a push from Wolves that had them snapping at Cannons heels throughout the third quarter. This time it was Penfold, with an added free throw from Scott, that provided for Wolves in the final minute and allowed them to steal the quarter by a point, 16-17, and narrow the Cannons lead to 3-points, 47-44, going into the final quarter.

Pace down the court defined the end of the game as Connolly, Campbell and Capkanovski powered the ball down the floor on each Wolves attack. The speed caught Cannons in transition and provided opportunities for Capkanovski who hit the mark from the 3-point line to tie up the game. The offensive energy was matched with defensive intensity that disrupted Cannons movement and allowed Smith and Connolly to pick off some passes, converting on the break to push Wolves ahead. Now chasing, Cannons were forced into a more aggressive defence in an effort to gain possession which provided a series of foul free throws that Wolves converted to extend the lead. Cannons fought to the end, Wilkinson hitting another solid 3 while Turla found some routes to the basket, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide and Wolves claimed a hard-fought win, 71-61, at full time.

The second game of the evening was a fast-paced battle between Southern Phoenix and Cavaliers, with a win key to Phoenix hopes of improving their seeding in the post-Easter Championship. Fast breaks from Mattew Jones coupled with solid mid and outside shooting from Connor Moughtin and Michael Pardoe to give Phoenix a 15-13 lead in the first quarter. Cavaliers shooting struggled at first, but the second quarter saw a barrage of swish 3-pointers from Chris Wolfendale that blasted them into the lead. Phoenix did their best to cover but Wolfendale continued to drain pressure 3s and draw out the defence. Overextending on the shooter opened lanes which David Boyle and Wig Bregazzi happily cut through, as well and leaving a dangerous low post opening for big man Dave Minay. Late 3-pointers from Sully Forfar and Moughtin were some solace in a punishing half for Phoenix, as Cavs led the way 31-45 at halftime.

The third quarter saw a more balanced pace of scoring, Forfar and Pardoe joined by Konrad Hand on the 3-point line for Phoenix, while Cavaliers relied more on inside play from Minay. Cavaliers managed to extend their lead by two points, 46-62, in the quarter’s final minute through a late break from Andy Cregeen. The then saw another surge from Cavaliers as Mike Lewis and Martin French joined the fray, dashing any hopes that Phoenix would rise from the ashes. The final whistle gave Cavaliers a 22-point victory, 68-90, setting up a third and fourth place battle with Cannons next week and means Phoenix almost certainly take fifth place. The final game of the evening saw Jets fly high against Hoops as Tom Dalton-Brown and Tom Crosbie splashed a string of shots outside the arc. Hoops found it difficult to break down the Jets defence in the first half but improved throughout the second as Mairi Harrison and Gemma Kirkham capitalised on scoring opportunities. It was Jets who were soaring on the final whistle though, as they hit a 95-30 victory to continue their 15-0 record so far this season.