Sport
14 November, 2025
Blazers look to benefit from rescheduled game
The Maryborough Men’s Blazers have a opportunity for redemption in their quest for a victory in 2025, hosting the Bendigo Braves in a Friday night thriller.
This contest was originally scheduled for round four at the end of October, but was forced to be abandoned due to heavy rain leaking onto parts of the court at the Maryborough Sports and Leisure Centre.
With the match rescheduled for tonight, the Blazers are well aware of what their opponents can bring to the court, having played the Braves last Saturday in a 10-point defeat.
The result doesn’t do justice to the incredible effort the Blazers mustered to nearly snatch a win from the Braves’ grasp, drawing level in the fourth quarter after trailing by 22 points before running out of steam late.
A frequent achilles heel for Maryborough this season has been the second quarter, and that weakness reared its ugly head last weekend when Bendigo outscored the Blazers 25-13 in that period.
Maryborough has failed to win a second quarter in any of their seven games this season, losing the period by an average of 10.5 points per game.
Their inability to execute in that period has forced the Blazers to take risks on both sides of the floor to pull off the improbable late in games.
While Maryborough has often thrived in those scenarios, it certainly isn’t sustainable, especially when it gives its opponents more chances to kill the game.
A four-quarter performance is needed to challenge the Braves, who followed Saturday’s triumph by defeating the Bacchus Marsh Lions by 12 points, giving them the chance to run the table and make the finals.
Maryborough will be determined to play spoiler tonight, with several players looking to build on strong individual performances versus the Braves last weekend.
Bailey Jacobs continues to be a bright spot for the Blazers this season, currently sitting second in the CBL North West Men’s points leaders, averaging 22.7 points a game after a tied season-high 25 points on Saturday.
Since being introduced back into the side against the Macedon Ranges Rockies, Darcy Bond has been a real asset for Maryborough, averaging over 10 points for the season and giving a boost to the guard rotation alongside Ky Swards, Harry Alsop and Ollie McCarthy.
Brady Neill and Kynan Carter also played well against Bendigo, combining for 32 points as a commanding duo inside.