Jets continued their strong form as they faced Cavaliers in the fifth round of the basketball season on Thursday evening.

Back-to-back 100-point wins against Southern Phoenix and Pirates had Jets flying high when the match tipped off in the NSC main hall, and though Cavaliers secured the opening possession from the jump ball, it was Jets who dominated the first five minutes.

Jake Glover proved ever effective on the break while Peter Boussougou and Tom Crodbie cleaned up on the inside and mid-range.

The Cavaliers’ 3-2 defence was cracked open by a practiced Jets, with cuts to the middle of the zone that opened up backdoor and inside chances.

Some nice mid-range shooting from Phil Evans and Dave Boyle brought Cavs into the game in the latter stages of the first, but Jets held a solid lead, 25-12 at the buzzer.

Two early three-pointers from Crosbie gave a strong start to Jets in the second quarter as they continued to extend their lead.

Cavaliers were quicker to build momentum though, veteran Dave Minay playing a physical game on the inside which led to a series of fouls and free throw opportunities.

It wasn’t enough to stop the Jets advance though as they continued to pull further away. The final minutes of the half told a different story though.

A series of quick breaks and pull up shots saw Chris Wolfendale join Evans on the scoresheet as the two had a nine-point run in less than two minutes.

Swift movement founder the shooters on the outside while solid drives saw foul-free throws as the defence collapsed.

The effort shifted the momentum in Cavs favour going into the half, though Jets still held a solid lead 45-29 at half-time.

Cavs opened the third quarter with more inside play from Minay but struggled on the mid-range and outside as a more active Jets defence locked down the shooters.

Again, the break and quick cuts from Glover kept Jets ahead, coupled with some swish three-pointers from Paul Kilic which extended the lead.

The quicker pace took a toll on Cavaliers offence as tiredness led to a series of difficult passes which Jets quickly picked off and converted on the break.

The pattern continued for much of the third, but greater success came for Cavaliers in the fourth as they again managed to find the shooters with solid screens and quicker swings.

Another adjustment on the defensive end saw Jets close the gaps again though and they once again started to pull away with Boussougou and Glover leading the charge.

At the final buzzer Jets had taken another convincing win, 86-61, and remain the team to beat so far this season.

The second game of the evening saw Wolves sink their teeth into Southern Phoenix, both teams relying on quick pace down the court to breakdown the defence.

Kyle Mills led the charge for Wolves with a confident display both inside the paint and from mid-range.

Phoenix pushed the ball quickly in transition, Matt Jones converting several fast-break opportunities.

Wolves’ Viktor Capkanovski caught fire late in the first quarter, sinking two quick mid-range and two deep three-pointers for a 10-point run in the final three minutes, pushing Wolves to a 22-10 lead at the buzzer.

Wolves shifted into a zone defence to open the second quarter, Seb Smith and Oscar Lace applying pressure at the top and creating a series of turnovers that led to a string of fast break layups.

The defensive efforts contributed to a six-minute scoring drought for Phoenix. Jones eventually broke the dry spell, managing to break through with some quick runs that gave Phoenix a boost toward the end of the half.

An outside shot by Zac Hand capped a solid run by Phoenix, but Wolves still held the lead at halftime, 41-20.

The second half saw a better performance from Phoenix as player-coach Michael Pardoe steadied his squad against the Wolves defensive pressure.

They continued to hunt transition baskets but settled into a more controlled half court offence when the fast break was denied. The shift paid off in a harder fought third quarter that Phoenix won by a single point – 17-18 – thanks to a late three-pointer from Pardoe.

Wolves continued to apply pressure throughout the final quarter though, Smith in particular proving effective in disrupting Phoenix offensive efforts while continuing to find his own opportunities on the other end of the court.

The efforts ensured that Wolves controlled the final quarter and outside shots from Viktor Capkanovski and Ben Campbell in the final few minutes further extended their lead, 80-53 at full-time in a game that showed the strength of Wolves press defence.

The final game of the evening saw an improved performance from Pirates as they battled against the barrage of Cannons Elite.

Pirates relied on drives to the basket in the opening quarters, Neil Domingo and Mike Brereton extracting baskets and fouls from the Cannons defence. It kept the game close in the opening minutes, but Cannons are known for their runs on the outside, and a salvo of three-pointers soon hit the mark.

Pirates struggled close down the shooters as Oliver Hamilton, Rowan Coulter, Kyle Furlong and Jack Evans all drained baskets from the arc.

The devastating blow gave Cannons a commanding lead for the second half that Pirates struggled to overcome, despite their own solid run of threes from Mike Brew, Lance Davidas and Domingo which helped to narrow the gap.

Cannons reverted to pace down the court and mid-range shots in the final quarter, taking the game 80-51.

This Thursday will see action continue at the NSC as Hoops tip off against Jets at 7pm in the main hall.

Then at 8.30pm, Cavaliers hope to return to winning ways as they face an energetic Southern Phoenix while Cannons Elite will take aim for Wolves in an effort to keep their third-place spot on the league table.

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

MARTIN DUNNE