Wolves, Jets & Cannons Win as League Returns
Basketball was back at the NSC with a triple whammy of Senior League fixtures as the season entered the final stretch before this year’s play-off finals. Wolves faced Southern Phoenix in an energetic first game, as Oli Penfold opened with a quick basket for Wolves from a trailing cut down the middle of the key. Wolves continued to extend their lead with a mid-range pull up from Viktor Capkanovski and a swish 3-pointer from Penfold. It wasn’t until halfway through the first quarter that Phoenix started to find some offensive momentum.
Long passes couple with quick breaks from Matthew Jones to start an aggressive run that had them draw level and then slowly pull away. Wolves defence was caught in transition which left secondary opportunities for Jowi Szetu and opened lanes for strong drives by Michael Pardoe. A swish 3-pointer from Seb Smith gave Wolves some hope in the final minute, but Phoenix still held the lead, 16-20 at the end of the quarter.
Adjustments from Coach Ben Campbell saw a resurgent Wolves savage the Pheonix defence at the start of the second. Big men Cameron Scott and Shane Collins dominated the inside while Capkanovski and Smith provided a solid guard presence at the mid-range and outside the arc. The onslaught soon had Wolves in the lead and was coupled with a more active ball press that shutdown fast break options and allowed a half court zone defence to set, denying Phoenix opportunities to score. Two early 3-pointers from Jones and Pardoe, were the only points of the quarter for Phoenix and did little to change the direction of play – Wolves howling into halftime with a 13-point lead, 39-26.
Phoenix found more success in the third quarter with some inside play by Szetu and drives by Jones but couldn’t build a consistent momentum against the Wolves defence. Outside shooting and mid-range pull-ups took centre stage for Wolves meanwhile, Kyle Mills swishing from the arc while Max Edwards hit the pull-ups. It led to a more balanced quarter overall, though Wolves still managed to extend their lead by 3-points, 55-39 going into the final quarter.
The fourth saw another aggressive offensive display from Wolves, with quick cuts and ball movement breaking down the Phoenix. Penfold and Scott dominated the inside play, with effective post moves and key cuts that saw them rack up more than half of the Wolves’ baskets in the game’s 10-minutes. Phoenix again found the break denied and a much stronger back line to the Wolves zone defence which locked down the inside. Late solace came from outside shots by Konrad Hand, but the result had long since been settled. The final whistle saw Wolves take a decisive 83-47 win, while Oli Penfold’s solid cuts and inside play saw him claim player of the match.
DGU Jets notched up a commanding win against Cavaliers in the second game of the evening, with Jets offensive control finding chinks in the Cavaliers defence while their outside shooting saw them soar. Paul Kilic and Tom Dalton-Brown provided plenty of points from outside shots in the first half while Jake Glover ran the lanes and Matthew Jennings mopped up inside the paint. Cavaliers struggled throughout the first half, with solid defence disrupting inside passes to big man Dave Minay and shot pressure keeping their scoring low.
Changes in the second half saw more success for Cavaliers through the outside shooting of Chris Wolfendale and Dave Boyle, while some quick pull ups and post move points were provided by Daniel Dunajewski and Dave Minay. Jets stayed in control though and continued to extend their first half lead, eventually flying high on 86-55 victory.
The final game of the evening was a by-the-numbers victory as Cannons Elite sank Cheldan Property Pirates. An opening 3-pointer from Jack Wilkinson marked the start of a flurry of points for Cannons, with strong mid-range pull ups and outside shooting that saw Darwin Gilmore and Rowan Coulter feature. Pirates struggled to respond in the first but found some success in the second quarter as John Russell drove the lanes and Mike Brew swished some nice shots. Cannons opted for more drive and dish options hunting the outside shot as the game wore on while Samson Shimmin and Evan O’Dea fired off nice jump shots and cut through the defence for solid layups. The final minute saw Wilkinson clinch the century for Cannons, final score 100-50. Thursday sees another trio of games in the newly refreshed NSC Main Hall. Jets and Hoops will be first to tip off at 19:00 on Court 1, followed by Wolves vs Cannons while Southern Phoenix play Cavaliers on Court 2 – both at 20:30. This week could prove to be decisive for final placements ahead of the play-offs as only a single win separates Cavaliers, Phoenix and Cannons. Victories for Cannons and Phoenix will tie up the mid-table tie up whereas losses will solidify their positions, and therefore the Championship seedings. All games are played in the NSC Main Hall with free courtside seating available for any spectators wishing to attend.
