Cavs, Cannons and Jets win out in Week 2
The second round of the 2024/25 Basketball Season took place this week with a physical match-up between league veterans Cavaliers and newcomers Cheldan Property Pirates. The early lead went to Cavaliers, aided by outside shooting from Chris Wolfendale – an addition to this year’s roster from the now retired Turkeys. Eddy Zolionis was a powerful presence for Pirates, giving them a flurry of baskets in the opening minutes, and keeping them within single digits of Cavaliers as the quarter progressed. A late run from Phil Evans and Rich Gleig helped Cavs pull away though, building a 10-point lead, 21-11, at the end of the first.
The second quarter was more bountiful for the Pirates as Zolionis was joined by Nick Hamer and Romas Kvedys on the scoreboard. Strong pushes through the lanes allowed Pirates to draw fouls from Cavaliers defence and grind away at their lead via free throws. The Pirates defence struggled to contain a combination of Wolfendale and David Boyle who ran the floor and kept Cavaliers ticking along throughout the second quarter. At the half-time buzzer Pirates had taken the quarter, but Cavaliers still led the game, 38-29.
The match was settled in the third quarter, as a solid Cavaliers defence frustrated the Pirates offence and contained their scoring to single digits. James Capelan stepped up on the offensive end with early mid-ranges and an outside 3 that pushed Cavaliers further in-front. Drives by Andy Holton and Kvedys kept the Pirates on the board but the tighter defensive efforts from Cavaliers pressured the finish and denied many foul free throws. The pattern continued into the fourth quarter and frustration seeped into Pirates defence as Cavaliers further extended the lead. Phil Evans proved a particular pain point for the Pirates defenders as he found his mark in the mid-range and drew foul free throws with aggressive drives down the lane. Again, Kvedys produced some goods for Pirates but it wasn’t enough to shift the momentum and Cavaliers emerged with a solid win, 69-47, on the final whistle.
Hoops took on Ravens in game two, with league rookies Sullly Forfar and Zak Hand making an impact in their first game for the Ravens. Hoops found some routes through the Ravens defence in the early game but struggled to finish under pressure allowing Ravens to convert defensive boards into fast break layups. The pace continued throughout, Zak Mitchell and Matthew Jones featuring heavily, and Ravens ran out the winners 80-23 at the buzzer.
In the final game of the night SOS Cannons fell foul to the pace and precision of Forget Me Not Jets, who dominated the early scoring through strong post play and quick inside cuts – Mike Baker and Jake Glover racking up points. Cannons struggled to finish against a tough Jets defence, with scoring mainly coming outside the arc from Jack Wilkinson, Rowan Coulter and Samson Shimmin. The result was never in doubt though, and a series of late breaks by Glover extended a decisive Jets win, 90-34.
