Seymour Blasters’ women’s team will make an appearance in the Country Basketball League, CBL, northeast league grand final following a huge 32-point win over Shepparton Gators at home on Saturday.
Going into the semi-final, the Blasters were the favourites after finishing top of the ladder with just one loss this season.
A strong start in the first quarter saw the Blasters lead by 14 points before a 22-point second quarter had them push further ahead, 50-23 at halftime.
The second half was the best effort by the visitors but it was too little, too late. Despite equalling the Blasters’ scoreboard efforts in the fourth quarter – with both sides adding 24 points – the Gators went down 61 to 93.
Seymour’s Jasmine Hunter was leading scorer for the match with 21 points, while teammates Alex Martorella and Kaitlyn Bickerton had 13-apiece.
The Blasters head to Shepparton to face Albury Cougars in the grand final on Saturday at 5.15pm.
Blasted out
Seymour Blasters men will not make an appearance in this year’s CBL grand final following a 17-point loss to Benalla Breakers on Saturday.
The Blasters started slow against the home side, trailing at the end of the first quarter by 18 points, before a second-quarter surge saw them outscore the Breakers and head into halftime down 30 to 39.
The scoring for both sides slowed but Benalla continued to push ahead, extending its lead back out by 16 points at the end of the third quarter before eventually taking the game 67 to 50.
Keenan Gorski was leading scorer for the Blasters with 13 points while Eden Hobbs and Ethan Bateman had 12 and 11 respectively. Hobbs finished the season as fifth-highest CBL northeast league scorer with 199 points.
The loss draws the curtains on Seymour men’s CBL season as Benalla move on to play Myrtleford Saints – who defeated Wallan – in this Saturday’s grand final.
Seymour captain Jack Murphy said the side was understandably disappointed by the result.
“We had many shattered guys after the loss. We are a bunch of competitors so when results don’t go your way, it cuts very deep,” he said.
“The emotion felt over the past couple of days across our group will most certainly drive great motivation and desperation for the next 12 months and beyond.”
Murphy said the Blasters were proud to look back at the effort they put in to reach the finals.
“We had plenty of change this year and it was definitely a season to develop and build around a new core of guys,” he said.
“We lost our league MVP, our starting shooting guard and our leading scorer from our grand final last season and brought in three new fresh faces, so things were always going to be tough in the early days for us.
“Our season was a rollercoaster to say the least, and while it didn’t finish the way we would’ve liked, we are rapt to know that it is probably the first year in many where we have been able to develop some young talent into our program.
“As much as it hurt to bow out in the semifinal, we will be much better off this time next season for the experience.”
