Eyes peeled: Seymour’s Harrison Stone looks for an option.
Normal service resumed for the Seymour Blasters coming out of the Christmas break, as they crushed Wodonga Wolves 106-78 to solidify themselves as the team to beat in the Country Basketball League North East Men division.
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Looking to make amends after suffering a shock loss to the Wolves on their last outing three weeks earlier, Seymour was a team on a mission, giving the Wolves nothing on either end of the floor in an impressive showing at the Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre.
Wanting to make a statement from the opening tip, Seymour’s defensive intensity was at its damaging best as Wodonga simply could not buy a bucket in the opening passages.
This was complemented by some exquisite offensive play, as the Blasters put on 24 points and only conceded 17 to take a comfortable seven-point advantage into the first change.
Team player: Robbie Sartori tries to find a teammate.
Entering the second term with all the momentum, Seymour continued the offensive barrage, as slick passing and on-point perimeter shooting had the Wolves in complete disarray. The Blasters piled on another 30 points to extend the margin out to 19 at half-time.
With memories of the round four loss still etched in their mind, the Blasters still had plenty to play for as the second half resumed.
However, Wodonga was equally as motivated to show it was no push-over and began to work its way back into the contest through consistent team play in the third term.
Remedying their offensive woes from the first half, the Wolves put on 30 points in the penultimate quarter to trim the margin to 15 at the final change.
Concentration: Seymour’s Jordan Hockley about to receive the ball.
With the whiff of a potential upset starting to manifest in the nostrils of players and fans, the Blasters showed why they occupy the top position on the ladder by nipping any last-gasp Wodonga heroics in the bud with a clinical final stanza.
Once again finding their grove on the defensive end of the floor, Seymour’s offense began to blossom as a result, piling on another 26 points to extend the margin out to a sizeable 28 when the buzzer sounded.
Tyler Best was the star for the home team, dropping 25 points to lead all comers, while Jordan Hockley (20 points) and Jack Murphy (17) provided great support.
Toby Cossor was the standout for the visiting Wolves, battling manfully all night to finish with 22 points.
The Seymour Blasters’ girls side pushed its way into the top two with a convincing 22-point win in the first clash of the double-header with Wodonga Wolves at the Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre.
Perfect pass: Seymour’s Olivia Pearce looks for a teammate.
Looking to prove themselves as one of the contenders in season 2021-22, it was a slow start for Seymour as it couldn’t get anything going on the offensive end, registering just eight points in the first stanza of play to fall behind by six at the first change.
In dire need of a spark, Hayleigh Frost delivered for the home team, taking control and sparking an incredible second quarter run that saw the Blasters put up 26 points and recapture the lead heading into half-time.
Sporting a three-point advantage heading into the third term, Wodonga tightened up on the defensive end as the game turned into a real slog, with neither side able to get on a consistent run.
Seymour extended the lead to six at three-quarter-time and the match was set for a grandstand finish as the final term began.
This is where the class and experience of the Seymour line-up came to the fore, as it put together a perfect stanza of basketball to lock away the victory and extend the margin to 22 by the time the final buzzer sounded.
Frost was the star for the home side with 26 points, while Dyani Ananiev provided great support, putting up 20 of her own.
