Threes Rain in 3rd Round Victories
Three was the magic number as shots rained down from outside the arc in the third round of the Basketball league. The matchup between Wolves and Cavaliers was top billing as both teams sought to continue their unbeaten run in the season thus far. There have been significant changes to the Wolves roster with the loss of several key players to family commitments and emigration, while new rookies and a returning veteran are worked into the roster as the former champions seek to find a new flow. Meanwhile Cavaliers bench has remained fairly consistent, losing only young rookie Kyle Furlong who transferred to Cannons Elite over the off-season – leading to a battle of the tried and tested against the new blood.
Stalwart Viktor Capkanovski was first to strike, two quick drives through the defence giving Wolves an opening advantage. It didn’t take long for Cavaliers to respond though, Dave Minay hitting a solid post move while Andy Cregeen sank a fast break layup. It was Wolves who stayed ahead throughout the first quarter though, outside shooting from newcomer Seb Smith and veteran Kyle Mills combining with solid drives Corey Pinder and Capkanovski to build a solid lead. The final minute saw a breakthrough for Cavaliers, with another quick break from Cregeen coupled with a mid-range from James Capelan that slashed the Wolves lead to 5-points, 18-13 at the end of the quarter.
The inside game was a large component of the second quarter, as Minay brought years of experience in the post to bear against Wolves rookie Shane Collins. The 16-year-old Collins continued to impress in his second Senior League game though, giving a solid defensive performance that frustrated multiple attempts on the basket and landed a string of defensive boards. Cavaliers found some success on the free throw line and mid-range, Les Winnicki and Dave Boyle featuring. It was Wolves pace and precision that won the quarter though, with Oscar Lace joining Smith and Mills to keep them ahead through to halftime, 37-28.
An aggressive full court defence helped seal the game in the third as Wolves came out in force to shutdown the offence. Cavaliers initially broke through with pitches to the inside, but an early timeout and adjust from Wolves changed the momentum with multiple steals and forced turnovers that saw Capkanovski and Mills hit solid shots and drives. The to-and-fro helped to unsettle the Cavaliers defence, and some quick swings and drive and dish passes found Luke Geneza on the outside where he drained a devastating set of 5 swish 3-pointers. The barrage pushed the Wolves to a 17-point lead, 65-48 going into the fourth.
Baskets were traded in the fourth, until Wolves started to flag in the latter minutes and Cavaliers drew closer as Minay and Capelan were aided by Martin French. Wolves lead was cut to 12-points and there was a risk of the momentum changing but another time out was immediately followed by a trio of 3-pointers from Capkanovski which ended any hope of a Cavaliers comeback. Final score stood 83-67 to Wolves, with Cavaliers Dave Minay racking up 31 points followed by 3-point stars Viktor Capkanovski (28) and Luke Geneza (26).
The second match of the evening saw a tough battle between Hoops and Southern Phoenix, as both teams worked hard on the defensive end, containing the hopes opportunities for scoring. Phoenix continued their recent form of relying on the fast break as Matt Jones ran the lanes, while Connor Moughtin sank shots from the mid-range and outside. Hoops took a while to break through Phoenix defence but soon found success as Mairi Harrison and Daniela Kravela hit up the mid-range. A second half run gave Phoenix the game though, 81-52, with Matthew Jones (21) and Zak Hand (15) leading the scoring – the latter with a solid set of 3 outside shots in the second half.
In the final game of the evening DGU Jets took flight against Cheldan Property Pirates, with the current title holders giving a dominant performance on both ends of the court. Solid movement and hawkeye shooting saw Jets build a commanding 16-point lead in the first quarter, which they ran out to a 104-35 point win, Jets Tom Dalton-Brown and Jake Glover leading the scoring on 31-points apiece.
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With 3 rounds now complete, there are already some key contenders for the Des Fieldhouse 3-point Shooter Award. Named in memory of former player Des Fieldhouse, the award recognises the player who hits the most shots outside the arc over the course of the regular season. League regular Chris Wolfendale was the runaway winner for multiple years, but recent years have seen strong competition with Michael Pardoe (Southern Phoenix), Viktor Capkanovski (Wolves) and Tom Dalton-Brown (Jets) all scooping the trophy. None of the previous winners feature in the current Top 5 though, which is dominated by U18s players who have been honing their skills over the summer. Zak Hand leads the rankings with 8 3-pointers in 3 games followed close by Luke Geneza who picked up an impressive 6 swish 3s in his debut game for Wolves. Rowan Coulter (4), Oliver Hamilton (4) and Konrad Hand (3) complete the top 5 in what is sure to be a hotly contested trophy.
