CBL | Gallery | Mens Blasters soar to back-to-back wins, Lady Blasters fall to ladder-leading Wodonga

By Zac Standish

Jan 24, 2023

Assessing his options: Seymour’s Liam Hockley. Photos: Wayne Herring

Another double-header provided another chance for Seymour Blasters to flex their muscles in the Country Basketball League North East Men’s division, as the undefeated ladder-leaders soared to two strong victories against Wodonga Wolves and Benalla Breakers.

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Extending their winning streak to 13 in season 2022-23, the Blasters proved it would take something special to best them, as they crushed the Wolves 92-59 at home before making the trip north and grinding out a 71-60 win over the Breakers.

A prolific 33-point performance by Tyler Best in the Benalla game was the highlight of the weekend for the Blasters from an individual standpoint, while in the Wodonga match-up it was a very even spread as all Seymour players registered a point.

Hard at work: Young towel boy Rocco Sartori.

With one game left in the home-and-away season, the Blasters are guaranteed to finish on top of the ladder, giving them the perfect launching pad to defend their title in the finals series.

Successfully negotiating what is always a tough assignment, Blasters men’s coach Craig Hockley said he was proud of his team’s ability to grind out two wins back-to-back.

“I am definitely proud of the way the team handled the double-header. We know exactly how hard these weekends are to negotiate, so to come away with two wins is always a great feeling,” Hockley said.

“It definitely takes a few days to recover from those double-headers as well, so we are happy to have gotten through it successfully and our attention now turns to Wallan at home on Saturday night.”

While the top-of-the-table clash against Benalla on Sunday was going to be the true test, the Blasters first had to negotiate a clash with bottom-side Wodonga.

Taking it to the hoop: Seymour’s Eden Hobbs.

Playing in front of its adoring home crowd, Seymour flexed its muscles from the opening tip, winning all four quarters to run away with a 33-point triumph.

The most impressive aspect of the performance was the Blasters’ even spread on the score sheet, with Keenan Gorski (17 points), Best (15 points) and Abraham Solano (14 points) all reaching double figures.

Hockley said the win against Wodonga served as the perfect preparation for the big clash at Benalla.

“It was a really good hit-out for us, we were able to get everyone some minutes and give our starters some important rest given we had a tough game the next day,” he said.

“Wodonga didn’t play too bad as well and for a young side really tested us at times, but we executed our offence really well and we were able to work on a few things defensively that will hold us in good stead moving forward.”

With one big win under their belt, the Blasters then looked to double the dose in what was the toughest challenge on their schedule.

Concentration: Robbie Sartori takes a free throw.

And from the opening tip the rise in intensity was evident, as the Breakers took it right up to the undefeated reigning champions.

Placing a heavy emphasis on limiting the influence of Gorski, Benalla didn’t bank on a monster game from Best, as he took control of the offence and starred with 33 points.

It gave the Blasters a much-needed scoring boost and allowed them to maintain a lead for the entire game and come away with the 11-point win, a victory Hockley said showcased the team’s elite depth.

“We definitely had to grind that win out. There was definitely some tiredness in the legs from the night before, so to come away with a win was very satisfying,” he said.

“They guarded Keenan Gorski very well, but that allowed Tyler Best to get off the chain and he played a ripping game for us.

“The great thing about our team is somebody always stands up, which has been the main recipe for our success in recent years.”

While it was double delight for the men, the Lady Blasters could not follow suit as they fell to Wodonga Wolves in a tight battle at Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre on Saturday night.

Coming up against a Wolves team that has dropped just one game for the season, it was always going to be a tough task for what is a very young Lady Blasters outfit.

As she has done all season, Tayha Watkins did all she could to tip the scales in Seymour’s favour, dropping a game-high 20 points.

But unfortunately it was not enough to combat the firepower of the Wolves, who put in a complete team performance to come away with 78-55 win.

Despite the 23-point loss, Lady Blasters coach Bill Pearce said there was a lot his team could take out of the match as it prepared to defend its title in the upcoming finals series.

“The scoreboard on Saturday night probably didn’t reflect where we are at. We went down 18 early and then fought back to get the lead back in the third quarter before we made a few changes and fell away again,” Pearce said.

“We were trying a few different things leading into the finals, and coming up against the best so close to the finals, it was a great test for us to see where we were at.

“We’ll play Wodonga again in the finals and I’m confident we can put together a stronger performance.”

Both Blasters teams will finish their home-and-away season campaigns at home against Wallan on Saturday night, with the ladies tipping off at 5.30pm and the men at 7.30pm.