THE return of doubleheaders was locked in for Wallan, while the Seymour Blasters outperformed in the Country Basketball League (CBL) once again.
Seymour’s track record for triple-digits on the scoreboard continued to impress all, with the side reaching the mark once again in round eight of the CBL.
The Echuca Pirates found themselves in foul trouble in the first quarter, handing the Blasters an early advantage that allowed the side to rack up 26 points on the scoreboard.
Seymour’s Jesse Brock made the first two-pointer in the second quarter, but both sides soon found themselves plagued by a series of fouls, slowing the pace of the game.
Despite the back-and-forth nature of the game, the Blasters remained the higher-scoring team at the close of the second quarter, just a few points shy of reaching the 50-point mark.
Both teams were locked in the last quarter, refusing to back down on the scoreboard.
The last quarter showcased its best performance from all, as each team delivered more baskets than in the previous quarters.
However, Seymour ultimately proved to be the superior team, finishing strong with a dominant 104-59 victory.
Seymour will play another doubleheader this weekend against the Wodonga Wolves and the Shepparton Gators before the finals begin.
Currently first on the ladder, the Panthers remain one game ahead of Seymour with eight wins, which includes their hard-fought victories in their doubleheader against Wodonga and Echuca at the weekend.
The last few weeks have seen the Panthers tackle several doubleheaders, with round eight proving the side have what it takes to seize victory.
Wallan made their mark in the first quarter against Wodonga, but the Wolves gradually gained momentum at the end of the third quarter.
It was dangerously close on the scoreboard between the two sides in the fourth quarter, but Wallan held firm and secured an 80-76 win.
Wallan coach Scott Baillie said Wallan were short of players, but the side still pushed through with the help of younger players who stepped in.
“Coming up against Wodonga, especially the second time in two weeks, was a bit of a challenge,” he said.
“Obviously, they had some alterations that they made to their game, and we had to counteract that one as much as we could.
“It wasn’t too bad getting a couple of the young players again to step up, which definitely helps the group a little bit more.”
Wallan faced a setback in its second match against Echuca, with one player injured late in the first half, but the side continued on.
“While we did have a decent lead, and Echuca definitely had a crack at it … it was enough to walk away with the win, and a couple of younger players happy, being able to get on that court as well, give them that bit of experience,” Baillie said.
Wallan will play at home this weekend against the Mansfield Eagles on Sunday at 2pm.
Baillie said the side’s perspective had completely changed, now approaching each game with the focus of a finals match.
[The team has] already turned around and said that they’re wanting to take that next step,” he said.
“They’re wanting to go in hard this coming weekend against Mansfield, and see what they can do.
“Having players like Brody Thrum and Jakob Skora step up defensively was massive, [and]Thomas Cairns stepping up and doing his part too, which was another big part.”
Women
In another doubleheader for the Wallan Women, the team were unable to get behind wins at the weekend.
It was a stark repeat of history as they faced Wodonga, who once again got behind a win, with a 34-121 victory.
The second match was less challenging for the side, but the Myrtleford Saints jumped to the win first by 11 points.
Wallan is currently fourth on the ladder and will take on Myrtleford Saints for the second time next week.
