The culmination of an extended Isle of Man Basketball Association 2020-21 season saw the Plate and League finals take place at the NSC on Thursday evening.

First up on the night was the Plate final, a knockout competition between teams who lost in the first-round play-offs of the league championship.

It was the seasoned Turkeys and youthful Eagles who progressed to play for the Plate, with Turkeys being quick to set the tone as Wig Bregazzi cut through the defence for lay-ups and Ste Christian set up on the inside.

George Dalton-Brown and Jack Elliot were core to the Eagles’ fightback, the latter sinking a vital three-pointer to draw the game level during the first quarter, 16-16.

Turkeys were quick to regain momentum though, with drives by Bregazzi drawing fouls and free-throws while Chris Wolfendale set up outside the arc for a swish three.

It was at this point Turkeys started to take control of the game, building a lead through quick breaks and mid-range shots. Eagles worked hard on defence, with Oli Penfold and Brayden Roche managing to up the pressure.

The offence showed less coordination and lacked the patience of the more experienced Turkeys side and, despite some nice baskets by Lorenzo Freno and Jack Coates, there were plenty of chances for Turkeys to ruffle the Eagles’ feathers and gain back possession.

As the game progressed Turkeys pulled further away, a three-pointer from Krum Gogov and a brace of baskets by Wolfendale powering them to a double-digit lead.

A late burst from Eagles brought some relief and allowed them to eat away at the deficit with more baskets from Dalton-Brown and Elliot.

It was not enough to change the outcome though and Turkeys took the Plate with an 86-46 win.

l The second game of the evening was a close-fought championship final between old rivals Forget Me Not Jets and Cavaliers.

The teams’ progress through the season has been a tale of night and day. Jets had an impressive record for the season, dropping only two games, but had a bumpy road leading into the play-offs.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Cavaliers struggled in the early season but found their footing in the final games leading up to the play-offs.

With an old rivalry and different paths to the final, the stage was set for an exciting game in front of the gathered crowd on the arena court.

The final proved to be a surprisingly low-scoring affair, marked both by the tough defensive efforts of the teams and some unusually harsh hoops that rejected all but the most perfect shots.

For a long time Cavaliers have relied on the inside presence of big man Dave Minay to rack up points but, as teams have adapted to deny the inside, they have changed their game to seek outside shots from the corners and wings.

It was Phil Evans who capitalised on this adjustment, swishing two three-pointers from the corners in the opening minutes.

Jets took a few minutes to find their groove, but a response came from Paul Kilic who hit a three-pointer after a quick swing round the outside. Wayne Mears followed up with some solid drives, including a three-point play from a foul that gave Jets their first lead of the game.

It was not to last for long though, Sergio Arboleya making some solid moves to rack up baskets - the start of an impressive performance that saw him total 25 points, more than half Cavaliers’ final score.

The teams traded baskets and fouls in the second quarter, Cavaliers narrowly maintaining an edge thanks to Arboleya and Evans.

The third quarter was marked by low scoring - only 15 points between the two teams - and the momentum changing in favour of Jets as Mears hit more shots and Jake Glover found some routes for the drive.

Jets once again managed to take the lead but, in the final seconds of the third period, Evans struck from the three-point line and put Cavaliers ahead by a single point, 34-33.

The final quarter was a hard-fought battle, Cavaliers continuing to look to the corners for shots and seek gaps for a drive, while Jets moved the ball quickly round the outside looking for their high post or an opportunity to catch the defence on the hop.

Each team found some success, but Cavaliers’ shutdown of the high post kept them in the lead as the game entered the final two minutes, 40-39.

It was Arboleya who then upped the pressure with an outside shot which was followed by a drive that pushed a fired-up Cavaliers into a six-point lead.

Mears gave Jets a chance to comeback with a quick mid-range but, with time short, Cavs inbound the ball and ran out the clock, taking the game and the 2020-21 championship 45-41.

l Isle of Man Basketball Association would like to extend thanks to the officials for both games, referees Trudi Crellin, Michael Pardoe and Rob Ewan alongside table officials George Dalton-Brown, Sean Aherne, Dave Minay and John Minay.

With the 2020-21 season now complete, senior basketball will take a hiatus for the summer, returning in September for the 2021-22 league championship.