Sport
10 November, 2022
Blazers looking for wins on the run home
It’s been a stop-and-start season up until this point for the Maryborough Blazers, but the men’s and women’s teams can look forward to some continuity on their run home towards the finals, starting with Sunday’s games against Kyneton...
It’s been a stop-and-start season up until this point for the Maryborough Blazers, but the men’s and women’s teams can look forward to some continuity on their run home towards the finals, starting with Sunday’s games against Kyneton.
Regardless of how the season has panned out so far, both teams have proven to be undaunted with the men’s team currently sitting second on the table, despite losing their first game of the season two weeks ago, while the Lady Blazers currently sit atop the ladder, undefeated in their three matches to this point.
The two games this weekend, to be played at Kyneton Sports and Aquatic Centre, have vastly different plotlines for both teams.
For the men’s team, it’s a chance to get back on the winners list and build confidence against the winless Tigers, as they look to build nicely for a big double-header next week against Bendigo and Mildura.
It was the third quarter in their last game against the unbeaten Melton Thoroughbreds that proved costly for the Blazers, with Melton scoring 32 points to 18, and eventually going down by 18 points, losing 83-65.
The continued good form of Rhys Brown and Brady Neill has been a highlight for the Blazers this season, with both showing a capability to create their own shot, both from within the arc, as well as from distance. Neill ranks 5th in average points per game, averaging just under 17 points in his four matches so far this season.
The Blazers will also be looking for the likes of Bailey Jacobs and Lachlan Drummond to get on the scoresheet this week, having to fight for their points against the Thoroughbreds, scoring eight and six respectively.
While the Blazers match appears to be a mismatch on paper, the Lady Blazers will have plenty to play for, given the Lady Tigers currently sit third on the ladder, having won four of their five matches.
However, as many teams have seen over a long period of time, beating the Lady Blazers is a significant challenge given their frontcourt strength and overall ability to score.
It was the trio of Maddison Egan, Claire Blower and Millie Cracknell which again proved to be impossible to stop for the Thoroughbreds in their previous game, with Egan exploding for 31 points, including 19 in an outrageous third-quarter performance. Blower was able to add in 24 points of her own, while Cracknell showed an ability to hit from distance, sinking four three-pointers in her 15-point performance.
Blower and Egan’s performances in particular look likely to set them up for potential league honours, with Blower currently averaging just under 26 points per game, while Egan’s performance increased her average to 24 points per game. They will look to be at their best again on Sunday as they look to preserve their unbeaten record.
Games at Kyneton Sports and Aquatic Centre will be played at 12 pm for the women’s match, followed by the men’s game at 2 pm.