Wolves Defence sinks Pirates; Jets fly High
Pirates scored some early plunder in their game against Wolves this week as Krum Gogov swished a 3-pointer and John Russell followed up with a quick inside move in the opening minute of the game. It marked the start of a hotly contested first quarter as both sides found success in the key and outside the arc. Ollie Penfold hit back with a solid mid-range to get Wolves started and was soon joined on the scoresheet by strong drives from Seb Smith and Max Edwards. Smith drew the game level late in the quarter with a swish 3-pointer which started a quartet of outside shots as he was joined by Ben Campbell, each hitting a pair of 3s that kept Wolves just ahead for the rest of the first quarter. Pirates stayed close though, a drive from Jamie Grose coupled with another inside move from Russell in the final minute to draw them within two baskets, 22-18 at the buzzer.
The second quarter saw a much more active Wolves defence with a full court press and solid traps set by Oscar Lace and Seb Smith. Pirates struggled with the pressure and their scoring opportunities soon dried up. The defensive pressure opened plenty of chances for Wolves on the break, which Smith and Edwards capitalised on in the first few minutes. It marked a difficult few minutes for Pirates as Wolves went on a 12-point run and extended their lead to 16, capped off by a transition 3 from Viktor Capkanovski. Jordan Brew ended the Pirates drought with a nice outside shot in the sixth minute and Gogov provided another shortly after. It did little to change a decisive quarter though and Wolves ran into half time with an 18-point lead, 46-28.
Pressure defence continued from Wolves throughout the third quarter, alternating between a full court press and half court zone traps. Smith and Lace again proved an effective double team, one driving the ball handler towards the sideline where the other was ready to jump when the dribble was picked up. It led to another strong run for Wolves offence with steals and turnovers quickly converted on the break by Capkanovski and Smith. Play of the day came in late in the third, Ben Campbell grabbing the defensive board for Wolves only to come under immediate pressure from Pirates Neil Domingo. A deft behind the back pass put the ball into the hands of Capkanovski though, and he powered down the court for an easy fast break layup.
The final quarter slowed the pace a little, Wolves continuing to pressure on defence but stepping back some breaks and settling into more half court defence. Pirates also found some success in breaking through as Lance Davidas made some solid drives to the basket, including a nice euro step straight down the middle of the key. The result was never in doubt though and Penfold sealed the win with a final mid-range for Wolves, 82-38 at full time. Man of the Match went to Wolves shooting guard Seb Smith whose 26-points put him as top scorer across all the games that evening and was matched by his solid defensive efforts.
Cannons Elite took on Hoops in the second game of the evening, in a fast-paced affair. Cannons continue to impress with their energy on offence, pushing the ball quickly down the floor to catch the defence in transition. The pace led to plenty of baskets in the first half, Darwin Gilmore, Evan O’Dea and Gabe Thatcher all finding routes to the hoop. The solid drives were complimented by outside shooting from Jack Wilkinson and Rowan Coulter, pushing Cannons further ahead. Wilkinson in particular had a strong game, with solid pass and cut moves freeing him up inside the key for plenty of drive and dish baskets.
Hoops struggled to convert initially, Danielle Murphy and Becky Dunne ending the drought with some solid mid-range shots. They started to open up from the outside as the game continued, Rhi Evans hitting a couple of nice 3-pointers. Special mention goes to Lauren Ellison though, returning after a near two-year convalescence yet still having an immediate impact – swishing some nice shots from the mid-range and locking down on defence. The game was Cannons in the end however, 95-47 at the buzzer. The final game of the evening saw DGU Jets continue their winning form with a solid win against Southern Phoenix. Fast breaks and outside shooting dominated the Jets offence, with Jake Glover providing 20 points running the lanes while Tom Dalton-Brown dropped a total of 25, including 7 swish 3-pointers that helped him secure Man of the Match. Southern couldn’t match the Jets pace but did find some of their own success as Zak Hand hit the mid-range for 11 while Matt Jones cut the lanes for a total of 8 points. 96-43 at full time, Jets remain the only undefeated team this league season and are firm favourites for the top of the table shield and first seed in May’s Championship play-offs.
