It was all to play for in basketball’s Senior League last week with the top four spots up for grabs as DGU Jets played Wolves and Cavaliers faced Cannons Elite at the NSC on Thursday evening.

Jets were the only team to hold a perfect record this season after Wolves’ unexpected loss to Cannons the previous week, and they were quick to show why as Tom Crosbie hit an opening three-pointer and Peter Boussougou sank a drive and dish mid-range.

Wolves were slower off the mark but soon found form as Seb Smith cut the lane for two, while Viktor Capkanovski splashed from the mid-range and outside.

The pressure piled on Jets from an energetic Wolves defence led by Oscar Lace and baskets dried up as Wolves tied and then started to pull away. Mattie Jennings provided some hope in the dying minutes of the first with some nice baseline post moves which kept the game close, 15-19 to Wolves at the buzzer.

Strong defence continued to play a pivotal role for Wolves at the opening of the second quarter and a solid read on Jets plays saw them anticipate and pick off a string of dish passes.

Lace again played a key role, this time on the offensive end as he broke down the court in quick transition for a set of easy lay-ups. A punishing five minutes saw Wolves build their biggest lead of the game – 14 points – and frustrations started to show in the Jets squad.

It could have been the decisive moment of the match but a well-placed timeout gave Jets chance to reset and regroup and saw them take flight in the back half of the quarter.

Paul Kilic and Tom Dalton-Brown took control on the floor, settling the Jets offence and picking up some nice steals against Wolves.

A pivotal three-pointer from Dalton-Brown buoyed the Jets further and started an energetic offence that Crosbie capitalised on to bring Jets within two points, 34-36 at half-time.

The third quarter was a battle of wills between the two sides, Dalton-Brown snatching the lead for Jets from outside the arc in the opening play, only to see Capkanovski steal it back for Wolves on the return.

It was outside shooting that gave Jets an advantage at the mid-point approached, Dalton-Brown and Kilic both swishing shots to push Jets back in front by two points. Defensive intensity stepped up from both sides and slowed the pace of scoring as the squads traded baskets.

Again, it was the final minutes that proved decisive for Jets, another breakthrough by Jennings and Crosbie extending the lead to 57-45 as Wolves’ defence faltered.

Wolves worked hard to build some momentum in the final quarter, picking up some nice inside looks and free-throw fouls to chip away at Jets’ 12-point lead, Luke Geneza leading the way.

It could have been enough for Wolves to retake the game, until Jets hit the afterburners with a devastating barrage of three-pointers led by Paul Kilic. The salvo rocketed them ahead to a 16-point lead with less than three minutes remaining.

Wolves gave a solid effort on both ends of the floor in an attempt to get back into the game, including two pressure free-throws swished by rookie Shane Collins, but they couldn’t convert quickly enough to make a difference.

At the final buzzer, Jets had held onto top spot in the table and their unbeaten record, 74-56.

Cannons Elite and Cavaliers produced the second nail-biter of the evening in a game that was separated by only a few points through to the final minutes.

A dominant inside performance from Cavaliers in the first half saw them draw in the Cannons defence and provide some nice open shots for Chris Wolfendale, while Dave Minay worked the post and put backs.

Rowan Coulter posted a reply from the three-point line for Cannons, while Evan O’Dea and Oliver Hamilton took the lanes and mid-range as the lead switched hands multiple times.

Stronger defensive intensity in the latter part of the half saw a surge from Cannons, with a multiple steals and offensive boards that kept the game close, 35-33 to Cavaliers at half-time.

The second half continued to be a battle of wills, Wolfendale dominating the scoring for Cavaliers while Jack Wilkinson and Raf Turla opened up for Cannons.

Quick breaks were key for both teams, Minay hitting a nice fast-break pass to Wolfendale, while Coulter pushed the ball from a steal for a quick lay-up that gave the lead to Cannons.

Cavs led by a single point at the start of the fourth quarter but were soon trailing by four after a three-pointer from Coulter and a foul free-throw by Kyle Furlong.

The lead continued to flip throughout the final quarter until a breakthrough by Cavaliers with three minutes remaining, as Phil Evans joined Wolfendale in splashing three-pointers while Minay continued to breakthrough on the inside.

The short burst of momentum pushed Cavaliers to a lead that Cannons didn’t have the time to overcome, giving them the game 76-65 in a tough contest.

The final game of the evening saw Hoops take on Pirates, with the former relying on solid ball movement and set play while the latter took more from fast breaks down the court and outside shooting.

John Russell gave a standout performance for Pirates, with solid boxing helping him dominate defensive boards while some nice shooting and Euro step moves leading to a total of 24 points on offence.

Hoops’ offensive movement created plenty open shots from the arc for Danielle Murphy and Daniella Kravela, but Pirates won the day 81-58 at full-time.

- Action continues in the NSC this Thursday with D2 Junior Development League running from 6.8.30pm, while there are three Senior League clashes tipping off from 7pm.

Hoops face Cavaliers in the first Senior League game of the evening, then Cannons Elite take on DGU Jets while Pirates face Southern Phoenix at 8.30.

All games are held in the NSC Main Hall with courtside seating available for spectators.

MARTIN DUNNE