It was the dominance of the Blasters’ second quarter, where they shot 18-0, which ultimately sealed the 19-point win over the Warriors.
And in the process, the Blasters, who didn’t field a team in the 2018-19 season and who return this year with a squad filled mostly of juniors, showed they could be a force to be reckoned with in the women’s state competition this season.
Head coach Bill Pearce said he was “very, very happy” his players stayed the course to successfully kick off their season campaign.
“Obviously it’s great to get the win first up,” Pearce said.
“It’s a young group – predominantly under-18 with a sprinkling of 18-year-olds.
“It'll be a long season with stiff competition.
“Wodonga and Wallan both look strong.
“But for us, it's all about providing those pathways for our younger players.”
With many of Seymour's starters playing their first games for the league, it took a quarter for the youngsters to adapt to the pace and physicality of the competition, with the Warriors running out to a five-point lead by quarter-time.
“We started very well, but then the Warriors went on an eight, nine-point run,” Pearce said.
“Nerves and the increased physicality - I think that resulted in Wangaratta's early jump.
“We called a time-out to rally the troops and reset at quarter-time.”
The Blasters soon reached lift-off, knocking down 18 unanswered points in the second quarter to race out to a 13-point lead at the main break.
Going almost shot for shot in the second half, the Blasters were then able to hold on to slowly extend their lead and take the match outright, 59-40.
“The second half was competitive. Wangaratta dropped into a zone,” Pearce said.
“Their coach mentioned he was worried with our scoring, so they slowed the game down.”
Among Seymour's heavy scorers were Tayha Watkins (18 points) and Olivia Pearce (14), with Watkins finding plenty of avenues to the ring, while 14-year-old Pearce, who is the youngest in the team, remarkably knocked down four three-pointers from six attempts.
Dyani Ananiev (11) and Maddison Ford (10) were also handy shooters, while Monique Mann provided a much-needed physical presence under the basket.
The Lady Blasters will play the Benalla Breakers in round two this Saturday night in what is to be Seymour's first home.
With the Breakers also consisting of a majority of juniors, Pearce said he was hoping for a competitive match against the rival club.
“It’ll be a nice hit-out,” he said.
“(Benalla coach) Tony Long is doing a wonderful job.
“I expect a strategic game from him.
“Hopefully we'll get the win in front of a home crowd.”
● Later Saturday evening, the Seymour Blasters lost their first match in the North East men’s competition, with Wangaratta Warriors fighting back in the second half to claim a 77-61 victory.
Seymour, who finished third in the competition last season, got the early jump over the Warriors to be up by seven points at quarter-time, before the home side fought back to get within three by the main break.
The Warriors further worked their way back into the contest, claiming the lead in the third term to earn a nine-point buffer by the final change, before capping off the win by shooting 17-10 in the fourth quarter.
Seymour's Robbie Sartori led his team's offence, scoring 24 points, including six three-point shots, while Zac Donoghue (12) and Tom O’Connor (11) also found the ring.
● Seymour Blasters will play their first home game of the season at Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre this Saturday night, with the Lady Blasters taking the court at 6pm, followed by the men from 8pm.
