Having gone down last weekend in a grand final rematch to Wallan to suffer their first blemish of the 2026 campaign, the Blasters bounced back in style on Sunday afternoon, dishing out a 110-57 thumping of the Flyers at Swan Hill Basketball Stadium.
It was a complete team performance, with the 53-point victory built off the back of five players finishing with double digits in what was a statement return to form.
From the tip-off it became clear the Blasters were a class above Swan Hill, trading scores early before racing out to a 16-5 lead within the opening five minutes, forcing an early timeout from the home side.
But it did little to curb the Blasters’ momentum, as Seymour continued to forge ahead, extending the margin to 14 by the first break, entering the quarter-time huddle up 29-15.
If the Flyers were expecting some sort of reprieve after quarter-time, they were sorely mistaken. The Blasters continued at a relentless pace, widening the gap to lead by 27 points at one stage in the second term. Although Swan Hill rallied late to cut the deficit to 23 by half-time, the Blasters were cruising with a 50-27 lead.
The one-way traffic continued in the second half, with the reigning premier saving its best for the third term, firing home 31 points to push the margin to a scarcely believable 35 points with a quarter to play, before outscoring the Flyers 29-11 in the final term, turning the 81-46 three-quarter time lead into a 110-57 victory by the final buzzer.
Tyler Best once again led the way with 36 points, his highest return of the season so far. It takes his average to 30.75 after four games, while his total of 123 points for the season so far is 34 clear of the next best.
William Stewart was industrious too, scoring 18 to continue his solid start to the season, while Jack Murphy (11), Robbie Sartori (11) and Adam Gatt (10) all reached double figures as the points were spread around.
It was as assertive a response as could be expected from the Blasters following the defeat last weekend and ensures they remain on top of the ladder for the time being with a 3-1 record.
Seymour was searching for a response in the North East Women’s CBL competition at the weekend, too, having also gone down to Wallan last weekend, however the Blasters were unable to match Swan Hill over the full four quarters.
Taking on the Lady Flyers at Swan Hill Basketball Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the Blasters were right in the hunt at quarter-time before the home side put the foot down, eventually falling to a 63-91 defeat on the road.
In what was a competitive opening term, the Blasters matched the Flyers early before twice going ahead by four points, leading 16-12 with two-and-a-half minutes remaining before quarter-time, but a late flurry from the home side saw Seymour head into the break down 16-22, although well and truly in the contest.
But a hot start to the second term quickly saw Swan Hill establish a 15-point advantage to lead 34-19. While Seymour rallied to produce a much more competitive end to the term, the Blasters entered the half-time break with an 18-point deficit, trailing 32-50 and with work to do in the second half.
They started positively in the third term, adding 10 of the first 11 points to close the gap to single digits, getting as close as eight points at 50-58 behind as the clock ticked towards three-quarter time, before the Flyers again found a response in the dying stages to head into the final break with a 67-50 advantage.
It was a brave effort from the Blasters, however the home side ran away with the game in the final term, handing Seymour a second consecutive defeat to bring the season ledger to 2-2 through four games.
Justine Walker starred with an equal game-high 21 points to lead the Blasters’ scoring, while Chloe Dimkopoulos, Kasey Lennox and Marley Pascoe each added 12 in what was a solid display from the trio.
Both the men’s and women’s Blasters sides will be back in action this Saturday against Shepparton Gators at Shepparton Sports Stadium in a double-header, with the women kicking things off at 6pm, followed by the men at 8pm.
