The first round of the new basketball season saw a tight match-up between veteran teams Hoops and Cavaliers at the NSC on Thursday evening.

A strong start from Cavaliers saw them dominate the scoring in the opening quarter, with Andy Cregeen on the break and David Boyle hitting the mid-range.

Hoops trailed by 12 points going into the second quarter but managed to adjust on defence to slow the Cavaliers pace.

The tide started to turn as the game progressed, Zoe Kirkham and Mairi Harrison finding their mark, the latter hitting a nice up and under to cut their opponents’ lead to single digits.

Momentum was with Hoops until a late surge from Mike Lewis extended the Cavaliers lead to nine points, 27-18.

Shots from Kirkham and Becky Dunne brought Hoops within two baskets at the start of a to-and-fro third quarter. Strong defence from Hoops contained Cavs’ inside threat, while good offensive movement saw them open up opportunities for Daniela Kravela and Oksana Fedorovych.

James Capelan and Dave Minay kept Cavaliers in contention, but at the end of the third their lead had been slashed to a single point, with the scores standing at 35-34 going into the fourth.

Hoops snatched the lead in the first minute of the final quarter, Kravela swishing a nice mid-range, while Danielle Murphy hit a free throw to extend their lead to two points, 35-37.

Neither team found an advantage as time wore on and it wasn’t until the final three minutes that a breakthrough came when inside play from Minay coupled with breaks from Cregeen saw them go on a 15-point unanswered run that sealed the game.

Hoops managed to find routes to the basket in the final minute but the result was settled, Cavaliers taking the win 57-43 in a scoreline that doesn’t reflect how close the game was.

The second natch of the evening was a hard-fought victory for newcomers Southern Phoenix over Cheldan Property Pirates, returning for their second season.

Pirates dominated the first quarter as Neil Domingo and Jordan Brew swished shot after shot from outside the arc and the mid-range. Fast breaks from Phoenix got them into the game in the final minutes of the first, Michael Pardoe and Jacob Kennedy delivering the goods.

This led to a more balanced second and third quarters, both teams trading the lead multiple times. Pirates relied on mid-range pull ups and swift movement, while Phoenix preferred transition shots and solid drives.

The game stayed close until the opening minutes of the fourth where Matt Jones and Zak Hand delivered a blistering series of fast breaks that sank Pirates’ chances. With the final buzzer Phoenix had delivered a win in their league debut, 55-44.

Jets got payback after the previous week’s pre-season loss to Cannons Elite in the final fixture of the evening.

Tom Dalton-Brown opened for Jets with a swish three-pointer, but they soon trailed with quick replies outside the arc from Cannons Evan O’Dea and Rowan Coulter.

The game stayed close throughout a testy first quarter, tight defence and high intensity rattling both sides as neither managed to build a consistent flow.

The second saw Jets settle into a more drilled offence, with baseline drives collapsing the Cannons defence and opening up lanes for secondary cutters to pick up easy baskets.

Cannons struggled for a reply and provided more openings with outside shots against the set defence that allowed Jets to scoop up boards and hit the afterburners in transition, leading 35-22 at half-time.

A punishing third quarter saw a five-minute dry spell for Cannons, while Jets cruised to the hoop with inside moves from Pete Boussougou and solid shooting from newcomer Tom Crosbie.

Cannons show some flashes of greatness, a solid drive by Jack Wilkinson leading to a kick out and swing which gave O’Dea a great outside look while maintaining rebound options for Cannons and defence balance against Jets’ transition.

It wasn’t enough to change the face of the game though and Jets took the first game of their championship title defence 77-38.

- League action will continue this Thursday with the D2 Development league moving to full court games from 6pm, then at 7pm the first Senior League fixture tips off as Hoops play Wolves.

At 8.30pm there is a double whammy as Southern Phoenix will look to rise above Cannons Elite while Cavaliers aim to sink Pirates.

All games are held in the NSC Main Hall and free seating is available courtside for any spectators who wish to attend.

The Big Pink Game returns to the NSC this Sunday as a pair of men’s and women’s tournaments will be held in aid of the Manx Breast Cancer Support Group.

The event has attracted dozens of teams over the last few years in a light-hearted competition. Focussed on fun and fundraising, the rapid-fire games are a great way for players at all levels to get their fix of court action in aid of a worthy cause.

The Big Pink Game will run from 2-4pm in the NSC Main Hall, with players and supporters encouraged to wear pink on the day.

A new 3x3 league launches on Sunday, November 2 in the Roundhouse, Braddan.

FIBA 3x3 has become a popular basketball format in recent years, with short format, half-court games that use a slightly smaller basketball which lends itself to impressive crossovers and epic dunks.

Games run for no more than 10 minutes or first to 21 points, using tag out substitution and on-basket pick-up defence to keep the intensity high.

The island has a solid link to the FIBA 3x3 world, with Team GB star Evan Walshe having honed some of his skills as a young player at the NBC camps that were held in the island in years gone by.

The 3x3 league will run for seven weeks between 2-3pm in the Roundhouse main hall with teams guaranteed three games a week and play-off finals to crown the 3x3 champions.

Teams can be registered on www.isleofmanbasketball.com at a cost of £75 per team.

MARTIN DUNNE