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BC WOLVES NEWSLETTER | Three Wins and a Double-Overtime Battle
There has been plenty to talk about across our latest four fixtures, with victories for our U-18 Boys, U-16 Boys and Premier League Men, while our Division-1 Men came agonisingly close in a game that needed two overtimes to decide.
From a comeback in Newry to a strong Premier League opener, these matches brought encouraging performances from across the club. There were lessons to take away too, particularly from the narrowest of defeats against Queens.
**U-18 Boys Build Momentum Against Queens**
**Queens BC 55–79 BC Wolves**
Our U-18 Boys followed their victory over Tyrone Towers with another positive result, beating Queens BC 79–55 away from home.
Queens held a narrow 12–11 advantage after the opening quarter, but Wolves responded in the second. Outscoring the hosts 21–11, the boys turned that early deficit into a 32–23 half-time lead.
They continued to build on that advantage after the break. A 22–14 third quarter took the score to 54–37, before Wolves finished with their highest-scoring period of the game, adding 25 points in the fourth to secure a 24-point win.
Pijus Januškevičius led the scoring with **30 points**, including two three-pointers and eight successful free throws from nine attempts. Ignas Pudėnas added **25 points**, also making two threes and converting nine of his 12 free throws.
Lorencas Surginas contributed **nine points**, Danny McCaughey added **six**, and Calum Hughes finished with **four**. Raigardas Valuzis and Dominykas Averinas scored **two each**, with Neimantas Rubinskas adding **one**.
One particularly encouraging improvement came at the free-throw line. Wolves converted **24 of 32 attempts**, lifting their accuracy to 75% after shooting 50% against Tyrone Towers. Alongside winning each of the final three quarters, that gave Head Coach Linas Lapukas and the squad plenty to build on.
**U-16 Boys Fight Back to Win Their Season Opener**
**Newry Fliers 41–45 BC Wolves**
Our U-16 Boys began their season with a hard-earned away victory, overcoming a difficult start and a late deficit to beat Newry Fliers 45–41.
Newry took the early advantage, leading 14–6 after the first quarter. Wolves answered with an excellent second period, scoring 16 points while restricting the hosts to four. That response put the boys ahead 22–18 at half-time.
The game swung again in the third quarter. Newry won the period 15–8 and took a 33–30 lead into the final ten minutes, leaving Wolves with another challenge to overcome.
The boys responded once more. A 15–8 final quarter turned the three-point deficit into a four-point victory and secured a winning start to the campaign.
Neimantas Rubinskas finished as Wolves’ leading scorer with **14 points**, supported by **10 apiece from Raigardas Valuzis and Kajus Stirbys**. Conall Bonner added **five**, Ross Balmes scored **four**, and Nojus Rackauskas contributed **two**.
All nine players took to the court, with John McKearney, Nojus Urbonas and Dovydas Grigaitis also getting their season underway.
For Head Coach Rolandas Bartkus, the response to setbacks was an encouraging feature of the opener. Wolves finished both the first and third quarters behind, then answered by winning the following period. There is work ahead, but finding a way through a close away game is a positive first step.
**Premier Men Start with Victory over Tyrone Towers**
**BC Wolves 84–67 Tyrone Towers BC**
Our Premier League Men opened their season with an 84–67 victory over Tyrone Towers, with four players reaching double figures and nine contributing to the scoring. Wolves made a strong start, taking a 23–15 first-quarter lead. Towers reduced the gap in the second period, leaving Wolves ahead 38–33 at the break.
A 21–18 third quarter extended the advantage to eight points, but the decisive separation came in the fourth. Wolves outscored Towers 25–16 over the final ten minutes to complete a 17-point win.
Pijus Januškevičius led with **18 points**, closely followed by Adam Czuprak with **17**. Harry Wang added **13**, including three three-pointers, while Vidmantas Kazlauskas finished with **12**.
Adomas Vaitkaitis contributed **seven points**, with Ignas Pudėnas and Žygimantas Radzevičius adding **six each**. Aidenas Paskauskas scored **three**, and Vitalijus Stonevičius added **two**.
All ten players featured in the opener. Wolves’ 28 two-point baskets, compared with Towers’ 18, helped make the difference, while the spread of scorers gave Head Coach Linas Lapukas a welcome positive from the first Premier League outing.
**Division-1 Men Fall One Point Short After Two Overtimes**
**BC Wolves 80–81 Queens BC**
Our Division-1 Men were involved in the closest contest of the four, suffering an 81–80 defeat against Queens after **two overtime periods**.
Queens edged the first quarter 15–13, but Wolves moved ahead 30–28 by half-time. A strong third period extended the lead to 50–42 heading into the fourth. Queens then fought back, winning the final quarter of regulation 18–10 to tie the game at 60–60. Even the first overtime could not separate the sides. Both scored 14 points, leaving the game level at 74–74 and sending it into a second extra period. Queens edged that final spell 7–6 to take the win by a single point.
Žydrūnas Sadauskas led Wolves with **22 points**, including five three-pointers. Tomas Glodenis added **13**, while Darius Vytuvis contributed **11**.
Dillon McCrory and Kęstutis Gelazis scored **seven each**. Julian-Djavan Regis Constant and Žygimantas Radzevičius added **six apiece**, Mantas Venslovas finished with **four**, and Karolis Maciulaitis and Andre Cassama scored **two each**.
It was a painful result after such a close contest. Wolves made 12 of their 23 free throws, leaving valuable points behind in a game ultimately decided by one. Holding an eight-point advantage after three quarters also gives the squad a clear opportunity to review how to close out tight matches.
**Thank You to Our Wolves Community**
Across these four games, there were strong scoring performances, determined comebacks and valuable experience for our younger players. Three victories give us plenty to celebrate, while the Division-1 result is a reminder of how small the margins can be.
Thank you to our coaches, team managers, volunteers, table officials, parents and supporters. Whether you are helping organise a fixture, bringing players to games or cheering from the sidelines, your support keeps our teams moving forward.
Well done to everyone who represented the club. Back to training, keep improving, and on to the next game.
**Come on, Wolves! 🐺🏀**
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