The second round of the 2024-25 Isle of Man Basketball Association league season took place at the NSC on Thursday with a physical match-up between 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 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 restricted their scoring to single digits.
James Capelan stepped up on the offensive end with early mid-ranges and an outside three that pushed Cavaliers further in front.
Drives by Andy Holton and Kvedys kept 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.
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, at 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 lay-ups.
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.
- This week sees another trio of games tipping off at 7pm on Thursday as Wolves take on Ravens, then at 8.30pm Hoops will face Pirates on court one while Cannons play Cavaliers on court two.
All games are played in the NSC main hall with free courtside seating available for any spectators wishing to attend.
- Registration continues for the D2 Development League which runs on Thursday evenings from 6 to 8.30pm in the NSC main hall. Players aged 12 to 18 are eligible to register, with teams split into age divisions.
Those interested can sign up via the basketball association website www.isleofmanbasketball.com
MARTIN DUNNE