Cannons Elite pulled off an upset victory over Wolves in the latest round of the basketball league season at the NSC on Thursday evening.

Solid offence and defence contained the former champions, while improved shot selection saw Cannons blaze ahead in the opening quarter.

Baskets came thick and fast in the opening minutes as Oliver Hamilton, Samson Shimmin and Jack Wilkinson all saw success on the break, mid-range and outside the arc.

Wolves got off to a lacklustre start with a leaky press providing solid chances for Cannons to break through, while a stuttering offence saw a string of shots fail to drop.

Some solid jump shots from Luke Geneza and lay-ups from Oscar Lace and Cameron Scott kept Wolves in the game but did little to stall Cannons’ momentum as they led 23-12 at the end of the first.

Both teams struggled on offence in the second quarter as close defence on each end of the floor frustrated offensive efforts. Cannons’ zone defence poured pressure on the outside shooters while collapsing around the drive, which stopped Wolves building significant momentum.

Ball pressure from Oscar Lace and Seb Smith kept Cannons from setting up a solid offence on the other end of the floor, while the Wolves man-to-man defence kept Cannons off the scoresheet for much of the quarter.

As the second wore on, neither team could build an advantage and it stayed low scoring with just a total of 15 points between the two teams. Wolves took the quarter by three points 6-9, but Cannons still held a solid lead going into half-time 29-21.

The Cannons bench was vocal from the start of the second half with cheers on offence and chants on defence to help lift their squad. They struggled in the third though as a stronger defensive performance for Wolves saw Cannons misfire and opened up some opportunities on the return.

Pressure from Oscar Lace and Seb Smith helped to contain Coulter, Hamilton and Wilkinson, although they stayed in the game with some good drives that drew the foul-free throw.

Wolves continued to struggle with offensive flow and were flat from the mid-range and outside the arc. A switch up late in the quarter saw a change in fortunes as big man Cameron Scott came to the fore.

Quick drives and swings from the perimeter kept the Cannons defence off balance while Scott made a series of strong baseline cuts, scooping up boards and post-entry passes for an eight-point run in the final two minutes that put Wolves ahead for the first time in the game, 45-48.

Neither team found a decisive edge during in the fourth quarter as an opening three from Wolves was immediately matched by Wilkinson for Cannons on the return.

Better defence saw Cannons close down the baseline drive that had proved effective for Wolves toward the end of the third quarter, but they couldn’t build a solid momentum on the offensive end.

The decisive run came with three minutes to go as Coulter hit a trio of three-pointers to push Cannons ahead by eight. Wolves failed to find a reply as Cannons played an effective scramble defence that challenged every shot.

Slim hope came in the final minute when a foul on the shot put Smith on the line for two pressure free-throws which he cooly sank drawing Wolves within six. But they again struggled to create on offence, with forced shots against an active Cannons defence.

With the final whistle, Cannons had continued their impressive ascendance with a solid 68-62 victory. Man of the match went to Rowan Coulter whose shooting sealed the game for Cannons.

The second game of the evening saw DGU Jets take on Hoops in a decent performance for the current title holders.

Solid offensive movement from Hoops saw them open up the Jets defence for some nice mid-range shots from Oksana Fedorovych and Gemma Kirkham which saw them keep pace with Jets for much of the first quarter.

The final minute of the first saw a fast break from Jake Glover and two inside moves from Peter Boussougou that saw Jets pull ahead, 19-11, and started a run that gave them the game.

Glover remained key on the break, while Tom Crosbie picked up on the mid-range and Matthew Jennings mopped up inside the paint.

Hoops continued to see some success on the inside and mid-range as solid screens and quick swings found the open hands, while outside from Danielle Murphy added to the total.

It wasn’t enough to match pace with the Jets though and they were flying high, 93-47, at the final buzzer.

Phoenix rose high in the opening quarter of their game against Cavaliers, as quick breaks from Matthew Jones and solid shooting from Konrad Hand saw them blaze ahead.

The reply was slow to come from Cavs, relying on the inside presence of Dave Minay which Phoenix initially contained to lead 22-13 at the end of the first.

The second quarter reversed fortunes with Dave Boyle cutting through Phoenix defence on the drive and pull up, while Minay broke down the inside game. It led to a 13-point run that push Cavs into the lead 32-29 at half-time.

The form continued into the second half, with Phoenix struggling to find their options while Cavaliers continued to convert inside the key and on the mid-range jump shot, giving them a solid 70-48 win.

Pirates and Hoops will both seek their first victory of the 2025-26 campaign as they face off in the first game at 7pm on Thursday evening.

Then there will be double court action at 8.30pm as Cannons Elite look to solidify their second place ranking by taking down league veterans Cavaliers, while on court two DGU Jets will hope to continue their unbeaten run and Wolves try to return to winning ways in what should prove to be a high-octane battle.

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

MARTIN DUNNE