There was a nail-biting night at the NSC as the final opening round games of Isle of Man Basketball Association’s league season provided three close-run contests.

First on the hardwood was a top-of-the-table clash between Wolves and Forget Me Not Jets.

The last time the two teams had met was in the 2023-24 Championship final in April, with Jets seeking to avenge that game and soar above Wolves in the current league table.

It was a finely-balanced game from the start, Wolves winning the tip-off and an early basket thanks to Ross Wilson, while Jets quickly levelled with an inside move from Michael Baker.

The tit-for-tat continued for most of the first quarter, with scoring staying low on both sides. Jets leant heavily on Baker on the inside, while Wilson was joined by Michael Pardoe, Ben Campbell and Viktor Capkanovski for Wolves.

It was the latter two who gave Wolves the edge toward the end of the quarter, a drive and a mid-range pushing them to a 16-13 lead at the buzzer.

The second quarter opened strong for Wolves, a combination of good options and pressing defence helping them hit a quick eight points, with Harry Brindle joining the fray.

A quick timeout from Jets saw them adjust and Wolves were better contained as Jets focussed on a box-and-one, with lockdown defence by Tom Dalton-Brown causing trouble for Wolves’ guard Viktor Capkanovski.

Wolves kept Jets off the board for much of the quarter though, and looked to be heading into the half with a decent lead until a late surge threw the game up in the air.

Two quick breaks from Wayne Mears and Dalton-Brown coupled with a pair of three-pointers from Revi Del Rosario to tie the score, 25-25 at half-time.

The tough competition continued in the second half, with aggressive defensive efforts stifling the offence for both teams.

Wolves kept a consistent scoring pace spread across the squad, although missed plenty of opportunities to build a lead with dropped layups and putbacks.

Jets continued to work hard on their box press but struggled to convert at first, only to find a late run of baskets powered by Mears and Dalton-Brown. At the end of the third it was still all to play for, 44-42.

Wolves finally started to pull away in the fourth quarter, first Capkanovski and then Wilson finding routes to the hoop for solid baskets and free throw fouls.

As the quarter wore on the lead slowly grew, although Jets stayed close through efforts from Mears and Jake Glover.

Some quick breaks from Glover in the final minute punished mistakes by Wolves but clever time management allowed them to hold onto the lead. At the final buzzer it was 62-57 to Wolves in a game that could have gone either way.

PIRATES V CANNONS

The second game of the evening saw a battle between newcomers as Pirates and Cannons faced off for the first time in their inaugural season.

Pirates opened strongly as Michael Brereton and Romas Kvedys sliced through the defence to put them into an early lead. Cannons took time to settle but found their form as Jack Wilkinson and Evan O’Dea opened up the Pirates defence.

Pace combined with solid shooting from Gabe Thatcher and Rowan Coulter helped extend the Cannons lead to 12 points, 20-32 at half-time.

Pirates’ bench riled up their team with some loud defensive chants that echoed through the NSC main hall and helped them sink Cannons’ offensive efforts. Kvedys pillaged plenty of points with some quick cuts and was joined by Lance Davidas and Jamie Grose on the board.

As the last minute of the quarter dawned, Pirates had all the momentum and their first lead of the game, 35-34. Things looked bleak for Cannons until a buzzer-beater three from Oliver Hamilton plundered Pirates’ hopes and snatched back the lead, 35-37 heading into the fourth.

A broadside of three-pointers from Hamilton opened the final quarter and helped Cannons hole the Pirates under the water. Brereton continued to find some routes to the basket to keep the Pirates hopes alive, but momentum was firmly back with the Cannons.

Defensive chants then echoed through the hall from both sides as the clock ran down. A last-minute fast break from Coulter finally sank Pirates though, Cannons firing to a hard-won victory 46-54.

RAVENS V CAVALIERS

The final game of the night was a solid competition between Ravens and Cavaliers. Fast pace and strong defence paid early dividends for the Ravens side as Seb Smith and Miltos Provatakis powered them to a solid seven-point lead.

Cavaliers worked hard to turn the tide through set plays which opened up chances for David Boyle and Phil Evans.

Ultimately it those solid sets combined with an aggressive half-court press that clipped the Ravens wings, Cavaliers taking the win 70-58.

* Action continues this Thursday as round two of the season tips off with another trio of games. The early game will see Wolves take on Hoops at 7pm, then Cannons play Ravens while Jets face Pirates at 8.30pm.

All games are played in the NSC main hall with courtside seating available for spectators wishing to attend.

MARTIN DUNNE