The latest round of the 2024-25 Isle of Man basketball season saw title holders Wolves take on former champions Cavaliers in a physical 40-minute match-up on Thursday.

The addition of Chris Wolfendale and Dave Boyle has strengthened the Cavs bench this season and a significant number of spectators lined the court in hopes for a close contest.

Dave Minay opened the scoring for Cavaliers with a solid inside move but a quick return from Wolves marked the start of a fast-paced quarter.

Baskets from Ross Wilson, Ben Campbell and Michael Pardoe had Wolves powering ahead as Cavaliers offence was disrupted by a full-court pressing defence.

A time-out adjustment saw Cavaliers find greater success in the late quarter, Wolfendale joining Minay on the scoreboard and at the end of the first they had pulled back to within two points, 12-14.

Wolves continued to deploy the press throughout the second, alternating between man and zone, and while Cavaliers found some routes to the front court, they struggled to find solid scoring opportunities.

Good movement saw Wolves create more options on offence but a lengthy break – three weeks since their last game – was clearly evident in their shooting, with plenty of misses in easy shots and open lay-ups.

Ben Takken and Viktor Capkanovski joined Wilson to keep the Wolves ticking over though, and a solid defensive wall helped them grind out a decent 16-point margin 16-32 at half-time.

Scoring was thin on the ground for both sides in the opening minutes of the second half, with neither managing to breakthrough nor convert successfully.

Corey Pinder ended the drought for Wolves in the third minute with a nice mid-range effort, while Minay opened up for Cavaliers on the put back soon after. Cavs continued to find some routes to the front court but the defence held firm, keeping them to eight points for the quarter.

Frustrations showed on the Wolves side as shots stubbornly refused to go in, although they continued to tick over through efforts from Takken and Capkanovski.

The final quarter was dominated by Wolves who hit a string of quick breaks and outside shots to supercharge their lead. Cavaliers again hit a dry patch in the mid-quarter but took some solace in the last shot of the game as Wolfendale swished the three.

When all was said and done it was Wolves who had the victory, 68-37, although both teams had notes to work on before their next match-up.

- The second game of the night had Ravens facing league newcomers Cheldan Property Pirates in a fast-break frenzy.

Suffering from a series of unfortunate injuries and illnesses, Ravens entered the match with a short bench of five players and no subs. Pirates capitalised on their man advantage with a frenetic pace that saw plenty of fast-break lay-ups picked up by Lance Davidas.

Outside shooting from Miltos Provatakis and some nice drives and mid-range pull ups by Seb Smith and Zak Hand kept Ravens on the board but they couldn’t match Pirates’ pace, trailing by 20 points, 35-15, at half-time.

The second half saw a more disciplined offence from Ravens with better movement and shot selection denying quick steals and conversions. Provatakis again proved a key player, finding more routes to the basket for the quick layup or the drive and dish.

A highlight of the quarter was a solid drive and spin move from Torryn Jones, breezing past his defender for an easy two.

The better offensive performance was coupled with a more active and aggressive defence also helped to slow the Pirates pace, although Eddy Zolionis and Mike Brew still found room to operate, extending the Pirates’ margin by five points, 53-28, at the end of the third quarter.

Ravens continued to improve in the final quarter, aided by two swish three-pointers by Smith. Pirates’ momentum faltered somewhat as their constant pace in the early game started to take a toll.

Romas Kvedys led their scoring with an outside three and two nice drives, but a long dry spell in the mid-quarter allowed Ravens to start closing the gap.

A flurry from Hand, Smith and Provatakis in the closing minutes powered Ravens forward but the wasn’t enough to overcome the early Pirates lead and they sailed to a victory, 65-47 at the final buzzer.

- The final game of the evening saw Forget Me Not Jets victorious, 97-24, against Hoops.

- This Thursday sees Ravens receive a bye as the other six Senior League teams battle it out on the NSC main court.

First to take to the hardwood will be Pirates and Wolves who face each other at 7pm, then at 8.30pm SOS Cannons play against Hoops while old rivals Jets and Cavaliers take each other on for the first time this season.

Courtside seating is available for free to any spectators who wish to attend.

MARTIN DUNNE