There was a battle of wills that went down to the wire as Cannons and Ravens faced off for the third and final time in the regular basketball season on Thursday.

With both teams having taken a win in their previous two encounters, this match-up was key to determining who would have the best seed in the coming play-off finals. Ravens have struggled with injury recently and had only six players against a full-strength Cannons side, and started strongly as big man Jack Wilkinson tipped the opening jump ball into their hands.

The opening minutes saw a strong defensive effort from both sides, Ravens relying on an active 3-2 zone to challenge outside shooters, while Cannons opted for a 2-3 zone in an effort to lock up the inside.

Both managed to stifle offensive efforts initially, but the first breakthrough came for Ravens in a blistering third minute that the teams score almost half the quarter’s points.

Ravens opened up by firing offensive boards down the court to Matt Jones who used his speed for a series of lightning transitions and easy lay-ups before Cannons’ defence could get set.

Cannons fired off a solid reply though as good ball movement found Rowan Coulter free outside the arc for a swish three-pointer that brought them within a single point, 4-3.

Ravens made more progress as the quarter wore on with fast breaks and a nice mid-range from Seb Smith, while Cannons struggled to find another opening, the quarter ending 12-5 in Ravens’ favour.

Fortunes were reversed in the second quarter, with Samson Shimmin opening strong for Cannons with a quick corner three.

The standout performance of the quarter came from Wilkinson who found multiple routes to the basket and fired solid outside shots for more than half his team’s points, near single-handedly overturning Ravens’ lead.

The effort was enabled by solid movement on the Cannons side, which has been improving week on week with quick passes, nice cuts and drive and dish options creating plenty of offensive opportunities.

Ravens’ defence wasn’t lacking though, with active talk and shifting of the zone leading to challenged shots and ensuring second chances were limited.

They also provided a balanced offensive effort, Jones fast breaks aided by drives from Miltos Provatakis and offensive boards secured by rookies Zac Hand and Sully Forfar. The game remained on a knife edge at half-time but the quarter, and lead, went to Cannons 24-26 going into the second half.

Ravens took flight in the third quarter as Cannons suffered a punishing opening five minutes with a devastating barrage of breaks from Jones, while Provatakis sliced through the defence on his way to the hoop.

The 11-point run ended abruptly in the second half of the quarter as a tightened Cannons defence stopped Ravens in their tracks and was followed by a barrage of three-pointers from Raf Turla, Sam Williams and Oliver Hamilton that launched Cannons back into the lead.

The momentum could have stayed firmly with Cannons but a quick timeout by coach Michael Pardoe saw Ravens find a renewed determination with two minutes remaining in the third.

Another solid drive by Provatakis was followed up by a deep three from Torryn Jones and a mid-range pull up from Seb Smith, which flipped the script again and saw Ravens snatch a four-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, 44-40.

All was still to play for in the final quarter, with Wilkinson on target outside the arc to sink a three in the opening seconds and slash Ravens’ lead to a single point. Seb Smith responded immediately with a transition three on the return that again pushed Ravens ahead by four points, 47-43.

It was Smith who proved key in the final quarter with some lockdown defence and a series of strong drives that drew fouls and free-throws from the Cannons defence.

The efforts, combined with baskets from Provatakis, helped keep Ravens ahead despite strong efforts from the Cannons side, with Wilkinson, Shimmin and Coulter again featuring outside the three-point line.

It was an outside shot from Coulter that drew Cannons within two points going into the final minute, with strong defence aimed at putting the pressure on Ravens.

A drive by Smith drew the foul free-throw which extended Ravens’ lead to three but, with Cannons shooting strong from outside and now in possession, a solid defence would be need in the final 20 seconds.

Quick pace got the ball into the offensive half for Cannons, but Ravens’ defence stepped out to deny any easy shots or routes to the basket.

Swift passing got the ball into the hands of Wilkinson at the three-point line but the pressure shot missed just wide, denying Cannons an opportunity in overtime and allowing Ravens to take one of the closest games of the season, 54-51.

The other games of the evening saw Jets claim victory over Pirates 77-45 and Wolves led Hoops 59-46. Jets claimed an early lead through the shooting of Tom Dalton-Brown and Wayne Mears and kept the pace high to run down the Pirates defence.

Hoops produced a strong performance against Wolves in a to-and-fro game. Initially trailing after inside moves from Cameron Scott and outside shooting by Max Edwards, Hoops fought back with solid mid-ranging shooting from Gemma Kirkham and a brace of three-pointers from Becky Dunne.

Wolves ultimately held the line through solid defence to take the win.

- This week Cavaliers take on Pirates at 7pm on Thursday in the latest round of the regular season. Pirates will be hopeful of an upset having shown improved performances of late, with more composure under pressure and better co-ordination on offence.

At 8.30pm Ravens will take on Hoops, with both teams hoping to continue their recent momentum, and Cannons will seek to take down Jets through their solid three-point shooting and more disciplined defensive efforts.

All games are held in the NSC main hall with courtside seating available for any spectators who wish to attend.

MARTIN DUNNE