
SEYMOUR Blasters’ men left no doubt about their status as the Country Basketball League north-east conference’s best side with a 27-point grand final win on Saturday.
The Blasters proved far too strong for the Myrtleford Saints at Benalla, winning 80-53 on the back of a dominant second half.
Jordan Hockley netted a game-high 17 points – including three three-pointers – for Seymour, but it was big man Tom O’Connor who nabbed most valuable player honours with a dominant performance down low.
O’Connor finished with 11 points, 17 rebounds and four assists in what coach Craig Hockley described as a well-rounded game.
“Tom O’Connor dominated the boards and they weren’t getting any second-chance points at all, which was really good,” he said.
“It was a pretty hard-fought game throughout, and I think in the second half our depth allowed us to pull away and it was a pretty comfortable win in the end.
“Our offensive execution was really good. We were able to score off our offensive plays quite a bit, and on the defensive end we were able to get them out of their offensive patterns.”
Seymour’s women were unable to match the men’s exploits, going down 82-62 in their grand final against Wodonga Lady Wolves.
Despite strong showings from Hayleigh Frost, 21 points, and Maddison Ford, 20, the Blasters could not contain the dangerous Caitlin Reid, who scored 27 for Wodonga.