It was double delight for Seymour Blasters at the weekend, registering victories on Saturday and Sunday to lock away top spot on the Country Basketball League North East men’s division ladder leading into finals.
Beginning with a clash against Wallan Panthers on Saturday night on their Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre home floor, the Blasters once again flexed their muscles with an 88-61 triumph.
Inspired by a 25-point performance by Jack Murphy, Seymour showed its class on both ends of the floor, not giving the Panthers an inch from start to finish.
The Blasters’ defensive intensity was on from the opening tip, making life difficult for Wallan, who struggled to get anything going in the opening stanza.
Going into the second quarter with a six-point lead, an offensive barrage ensued for the Blasters, as Murphy and company put the Panthers to the sword with a 29-point second quarter to have the margin at double digits come half-time.
With the game well and truly in control, Seymour looked to keep its foot on the Panthers’ throat as the second half began, limiting Wallan’s ball movement while continuing to score with freedom on the offensive end.
A 25-point stanza extended the lead to 22 at three-quarter time, but the Blasters didn’t let up in the last, continuing their domination to win the final term by five and come away whopping 27-point winners.
Jordan Hockley (16 points), Thomas O’Connor (14 points) and Keenan Gorski (10 points) all provided great support for Murphy, while Ryan Philippe was the standout for Wallan, scoring 20 points.
Seymour backed up its Saturday night home triumph with a trip to Myrtleford some 18 hours later to face a Saints side desperate to add a third win to its season tally.
It was a tough match from beginning to end, but the Seymour boys once again showed their class to come away with an ugly 77-66 win to improve their regular season record to 9-1.
Finals action is slated to begin next weekend, with the Blasters set to take on fourth-placed Wodonga Wolves for a spot in the grand final.
Seymour Lady Blasters took the points in their final regular season contest, with Wallan unfortunately forfeiting the clash at Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre.
The result saw Seymour lock up second position on the ladder heading into the finals, where it will face third-placed Myrtleford Saints for a spot in the grand final.
Both semi-final clashes will take place at the Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre, with the Lady Blasters kicking off proceedings at 6pm before the men take the court at 8pm.