Cavaliers Dominate Cannons, Wolves Howl to Victory, Pirates Sink Hoops in Round 3
SOS Cannons took on Cavaliers in the third round of the 2024/25 Basketball Season this week, with the younger team proving an interesting challenge for the league veterans. Cavs were without key shooter Chris Wolfendale, but it did little to dampen their early performance as big man Dave Minay worked the inside while David Boyle and Andy Cregeen struck from the mid-range. Cannons offence struggled to find routes through the Cavaliers defence, and they relied exclusively on 3-pointers for the duration of the first quarter. Jack Wilkinson, Rowan Coulter and Samson Shimmin all found the mark from outside the 3-point line, but Cannons weren’t hitting enough to keep up with Cavs, trailing in the first quarter, 9-15.
The second quarter saw a shift from Cannons, moving more to quick breaks and aggressive drives as Cavaliers played a 3-2 zone defence to shut down the outside shooting. It was Coulter who led the charge on the lanes while Alfie Garrett and Dylan Evans hit some nice mid-range jumpers. A more aggressive Cannons defence, including double teaming Minay on the inside, slowed Cavaliers early scoring and forced a wider spread in search of points. Rich Gleig and Martin Mngoma featured as Cavaliers again won the quarter, but this time by a lower margin, riding a 9-point lead at halftime, 27-18.
The third quarter opened strong for Cavs, again relying on inside play from Minay, while Cannons reverted to outside shooting. Shooting percentages improved as Coulter and Shimmin were joined by Evan O’Dea for swish 3-pointers. Phil Evans responded in kind for Cavaliers while James Capelan found his way to the hoop. Defensive efforts remained strong on both sides, though Cannons showed some promising moments with quick pushes and swings that opened up chinks in the Cavaliers armour. However, Cavaliers still had the edge and extended their lead by 7-points, 48-32, at the end of the third.
Cannons enthusiasm peaked during a solid performance in the fourth quarter, quick shots from Garrett, Coulter and Wilkinson powering an 8-point unanswered run. The efforts buoyed the bench and may have turned the tide against a less experienced team, but Cavaliers maintained their composure and soon recovered to control the remainder of the fourth. A drawn out final few minutes didn’t provide enough opportunities for Cannons and so Cavaliers took the game, 68-48, at the buzzer.
Wolves faced Ravens in the second game of the evening, with the former capitalising on a pressing defence while the latter made the most of some quick breaks. Wolves opened the scoring as Ben Campbell and Viktor Capkanovski found the mark, but the early success stalled as the offence struggled to convert for most of the rest of the first half. Ravens capitalised with some quick returns and solid shooting, as Matthew Jones and Seb Smith worked the lanes and mid-range.
Momentum shifted in the second half as Cameron Scott dominated the inside for Wolves, mopping up offensive boards and powering to the hoop for an impressive 20-points. Pressing defence further helped Wolves control the game and Ravens struggled to respond. Occasional breaks were found with long passes to Jones, while Smith stole some possessions with solid defence and aggressive loose ball challenges. It was Wolves game in the end though and they were howling at the final whistle, winning out 84-38.
The final game of the evening was a spirited affair between Hoops and Pirates. Oksana Federovych and Becky Dunne gave Hoops an early lead with a solid mid-range and outside pull up. It took a few minutes for Pirates to settle, and it was Mike Brew and Romas Kvedys who pushed them ahead with two swish 3-pointers. It started a run that gave Pirates a commanding lead which they held throughout the rest of the game. Solid defensive efforts and quick ball movement saw solid moments for Hoops but not enough to catch Pirates, who sailed to a 75-27 victory.
