Wolves took to the floor against Turkeys in a fast and furious match-up in Isle of Man Basketball Association’s Senior League at the NSC on Thursday evening.

Jack Murray opened the scoring, drawing a foul on the inside in the first minute and sinking the subsequent free-throws for Wolves.

Harry Brindle and Michael Connolly were swift to follow up, using their pace to find lanes through the Turkeys defence.

Chinks were found in the Wolves defence as the first quarter wore on though, screens freeing up Chris Wolfendale for a three-pointer while Krum Gogov and Dave Boyle hit lanes and mid-range efforts.

Wolves maintained the lead throughout the first half, with Ross Wilson hitting outside threes and the drive while Brindle and Connolly continued to push the quick breaks.

Turkeys moved the ball effectively on offence, continuing to look to set screens as a way of opening shots for Wolfendale and lanes for Boyle and Gogov.

The defence held firm though and, while Turkeys struggled to convert, Wolves built their lead on the return. At the end of the half, the score stood 40-24 to Wolves.

The third quarter was a slower affair as the defences stepped up on both sides and slowed the scoring with a dry spell that lasted for more than half the quarter. Defence was solid on both sides, with neither giving much away in terms of opportunities.

A particular highlight came from Wolves rookie Oscar Lace who fought through two solid screens to get to his man just in time to block the shot, much to the delight of the gathered crowd.

It was late in the quarter when the scoring really started as the defences started to tire, Turkeys picking up points as Wolfendale sank two free-throws.

Wolves showed a similar sluggishness on the scoreboard but a three-pointer in the final minutes from Michael Pardoe was followed by an inside move from Cameron Scott and another break by Brindle saw them again pull away, the score standing at 49-28 at the end of the third.

The fourth quarter saw a quick start by Turkeys, Boyle and Gogov both swishing three-pointers while the former also picked up a quick drive to the hoop for an eight-point run that put the Wolves under pressure.

A quick timeout settled nerves and a resurgent Wolves emerged as Wilson, Connolly and Scott dominated the scoring and the boards, including one quick play that had the ball ping from Wilson to Lace to Scott for a basket before anyone had time to react.

At the final whistle, Wolves had taken the win 68-39 with the officials awarding man of the match to Oscar Lace for a solid, all-round performance and unbeatable defence.

The second game of the evening was another run-and-gun affair between Ravens and Microgaming Cavaliers.

The opening of the match seemed to go by the numbers, the experienced Cavaliers picking up points from Andrew Cregeen, Lez Winnicki and Mike Lewis while keeping their opponents contained on defence.

Ravens found their form in the latter stages of the first quarter though and used quick pace to get the ball down the court and put pressure on Cavaliers.

This paid off with plenty of baskets for Michael Provatakis, Conylt Dillon and Zak Mitchell which saw Ravens draw level at 17-17 and put Cavs under pressure.

Ravens kept the pace up at the start of the second quarter, Jake Kinrade putting them ahead in the early stages and the teams then trading the lead for most of the quarter.

With three minutes to go it was Ravens who were in the lead 27-26 and Cavaliers were forced to bring on big man Dave Minay to try and turn the tide. Setting up on the inside, Minay hit a string of baskets that pushed the Cavaliers ahead at the buzzer, 27-34.

The third quarter opened with some quick points for Martin French, extending Cavs’ lead and giving them some comfort.

It wasn’t to last though as Ravens again used their pace to pile on the pressure, rushing the ball down the court and catching the defence in transition, Dillon, Provatakis and Mitchell being joined by Cormac Ewan and Matthew Jones on the scoresheet.

With points coming from all sides, Ravens were soon snapping at Cavaliers’ heels and again took the lead late in the third period. A late flurry in the final minute put Cavaliers ahead again but with a slender six-point lead, 44-50.

The efforts and tenacity of Ravens forced Cavaliers into a change in the final quarter, falling back on their veteran players to try and put the game to bed.

It was a strategy that paid off with Minay, Winnicki and Phil Evans all putting points on the board and extending the Cavaliers lead. Ravens managed some nice moves, Kinrade and Mitchell featuring again, but their pace slowed and the offence subsequently suffered.

The game ended with a decisive win for Cavaliers 73-51, but the final score doesn’t tell the story of how close it came and the rookie Ravens will be happy to have gone toe-to-toe with the current title holders for three quarters.

The final game of the evening saw Forget Me Not Jets beat Eagles 70-53 in a game that started well for Eagles but ultimately fell to Jets’ controlled offence.

Ben Smith, Brayden Roche and Lorenz Reno pushed Eagles into the lead in the opening minutes, but it didn’t last long. Jets found their form with Peter Boussougou hitting his mark while Jake Glover and Wayne Mears ran the floor.

Jets kept the lead throughout with solid defence and a well-oiled offence that gave them the deserved win.

l This Thursday sees the final games in the cup competition before a return to the regular league schedule. Jets will play Ravens in the first game of the evening at 7.20pm, then at 8.40pm Wolves face Eagles while Cavaliers take on Turkeys.

All games are held in the NSC Main Hall and seating is available for spectators.