The second week of the 2025-26 Manx basketball season tipped off with a close match-up between a vocal Cannons and a fiery Southern Phoenix at the NSC on Thursday evening.

Cannons were keen to get back on track after a punishing loss to DGU Jets the previous week, while Phoenix hoped to carry the momentum from their debut win against Pirates.

Cannons are well known as the three-point shooters of the league, but it was Phoenix who were hitting the mark as brothers Konrad and Zak Hand swished shot after shot from outside the arc.

Learning from the mistakes of their last game, Cannons were much more controlled on offence, pushing the ball quick down the court but then moving effectively to find openings for Oliver Hamilton and Samson Shimmin, the latter nailing a couple of key outside shots that kept the score close, 20-25 to Phoenix at the end of the first.

Clever play continued to power Cannons in the second quarter with a series of quick swings and drive-and-dish options saw Gabe Thatcher and Rowan Coulter join the scoring and flip the lead 31-34 to Cannons.

Phoenix were on the backfoot for most of the second quarter but found some success with fast-break options.

Solid rebounding and quick kicks down the court saw Matt Jones run down a string of baskets that snatched back a slender three-point lead for the league newcomers.

The score stayed close for the remainder of the half, but solid teamplay continued to pay dividends for Cannons and the final minute saw Raf Turla pickup his first basket of the game to give Cannons the edge, 35-38 at half-time.

Chants of 'defence’ echoed through the NSC Main Hall as Cannons’ bench and supporters played the sixth man role in the third.

The energetic display saw a locked down defensive performance from Coulter, Hamilton and Thatcher which frustrated the Phoenix offence and led to only nine points throughout the quarter.

Cannons’ offence powered ahead, Coulter leading the charge with solid drives, but a standout performance coming from Alfie Garrett who found solid position to swish a set of kick out mid-ranges.

A swish three from Coulter capped a strong quarter for Cannons who held a 16-point lead going into the fourth, 44-60.

Phoenix rose again in the final quarter with a more aggressive drives into the Cannons defence, drawing out fouls and seeing Matt Jones and Zak Hand go to the free-throw line a total of 12 times in the fourth.

Cannons misfired at first but found composure by the mid-point, again working well as an offensive unit to crack open the Phoenix defence as Sam Williams joined Thatcher, Coulter and Hamilton to rebuild the Cannons lead.

Phoenix flagged as the quarter wore on and it shone through on rebounding as Cannons managed to pickup a string of offensive boards and put backs, further extending the lead.

The final minute saw a duo of three-pointers for Cannons, Shimmin and Hamilton providing, and gave them a well-earned 25-point victory over Phoenix 85-60 at the buzzer.

Phoenix’s Matt Jones was far in the lead as top scorer with 30 points, followed by Cannons’ Rowan Coulter (24) and Oliver Hamilton (19). Free-throw crown goes to Zak Hand who was 100 percent from the line.

The other games of the evening saw Wolves take down Hoops 70-39, while Cavaliers bested Pirates, 74-27.

Rookies were the stars of the show for Wolves, with new big man Shane Collins dominating the inside play while fresh-faced Guard Seb Smith pushed the pace.

Quick breaks down the court and good movement saw solid opportunities spread throughout the Wolves side, with Max Edwards also delivering on the offensive end.

Hoops struggled to match the pace at first but found form outside the arc as the game wore on, Becky Dunne and Danielle Murphy providing the goods.

Top scorers were Collins (16), Smith (15) and Edwards (15), the latter hitting a perfect 3/3 from the free-throw line.

Cavaliers also leaned on pace and presence in their victory over Pirates as Andy Cregeen ran the break of quick baskets, while Dave Minay controlled the offensive key.

Pirates had some success with quick drives and cuts, Mike Brereton being key to the offence, but they couldn’t match the scoring pace of Cavaliers who continued to cut through the defence until the final buzzer.

Top scorers were Cregeen (25), Minay (19) and Brereton (16), while David Boyle went 100 percent from the free-throw line over the course of the game.

- Action continues through half-term with a series of round robin games in the D2 Development League on Thursday evening running from 6-8.30pm following by a trio of Senior League games.

DGU Jets will face Pirates in the first game of the night, tipping off at 7pm, then at 8.30pm Wolves take on Cavaliers while Southern Phoenix play Hoops. All games are held in the NSC Main Hall with courtside seating available for spectators.

This Sunday sees the launch of a new 3x3 tournament in the Roundhouse. Running over six weeks from 2-3pm, the tournament will follow the FIBA 3x3 format which emphasises shorter, half-court games and a focus on quick action that rewards energetic defence.

Teams can register for a cost of £75 on the Isle of Man Basketball website, with a maximum of five players per team and three weekly games throughout the six-week tournament.

The weekend also saw the third annual ‘Big Pink Game’ with more than 50 players and supporters donning vibrant pink shirts, socks and shooting sleeves in aid of the Manx Breast Cancer Support Group on Sunday.

Featuring both men’s and women’s divisions, the two-hour event saw some fierce 3x3 and 5x5 competition as well as a fun ‘killer’ shootout to end the women’s event.

Over £350 was raised in aid of the Manx Breast Cancer Support Group and the Isle of Man Basketball Association would like to extend its thanks to organisers Gemma and Zoe Kirkham whose tireless efforts ensured the event’s success.

MARTIN DUNNE