The most dominant team in the North-East CBL in recent memory might have a chink in its armour.
The Blasters met Wallan at the Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre on October 14.
The new-look Seymour side started off on the right foot, but a poor third-quarter performance made the difference.
The Panthers clawed a win away from the Blasters, 66 to 73.
Without stalwarts from the 2022 season, Tyler Best, Jordan Hockley, Abe Solano, and Jesse Brock, a fresh-faced Seymour side took to the court on Saturday.
The departures did not look like they had taken a toll on the Blasters in the first quarter.
After a low-scoring start to the game, Seymour had a three-point lead going into the first break.
The game opened up in the second period; the score was 38-34 in Seymour’s favour at half-time.
Seymour came out of the traps slowly in the third quarter and the Panthers pounced.
Wallan won the quarter by 12 points, taking an eight-point lead into the final spell.
While the Blasters won the last quarter, it was only by a point, handing Seymour a first-round loss.
Ryan Philippe starred for the Panthers with 21 points.
From beyond the three-point line, Philippe was impressive, sinking four shots.
Ethan Batman and Eden Hobbs were Seymour’s most effective players, with 17 and 15 points respectively.
With a double-header next weekend the Blasters will want to quickly rekindle the scintillating form that took them to the past three North-East CBL titles.
While the Seymour men’s CBL season got off to a rocky start, the women were in fine form.
The Blasters blew the Panthers away to claim a 42-point victory.
The Blasters kicked into gear from the offset to hold a 28-point lead at half-time.
The Blasters took their foot off the pedal in the third quarter but stormed home in the last, winning the game 89 to 47.
Maddison Ford was fierce at the net, finishing the game with 17 points to her name.
The women’s side’s next match is on Saturday, away at the home of the Shepparton Gators.