Sport
6 November, 2023
Men’s Blazers just keep their season alive
A mixed weekend for the Blazers saw the women’s team effectively knocked out of contention, while the men kept their season alive thanks to a tense win. The Lady Blazers got Saturday night underway with a must-win game against the Kyneton Tigers...
A mixed weekend for the Blazers saw the women’s team effectively knocked out of contention, while the men kept their season alive thanks to a tense win.
The Lady Blazers got Saturday night underway with a must-win game against the Kyneton Tigers, and were able to put arguably their strongest lineup of the season so far on the court.
Early on, it was an incredibly defensive game, with both teams struggling to make baskets. As a result, just 19 points were scored throughout the quarter, with Kyneton leading 11-8 at the first change.
As it was in their last meeting in round two, Maryborough made their move in the second quarter, and were able to take a strong lead going into the half time break, courtesy of a 22-11 term.
With a 30-22 lead, the Lady Blazers couldn’t rest on their laurels, knowing the Tigers were a strong second half team.
However, try as they might, they were unable to stop the Tigers from taking back control of the game, scoring 23 points to 11 in the third term to hit the front by the final change, leading 45-41.
In the corresponding meeting in round two, the Lady Blazers were held scoreless in the final term as Kyneton ran over the top of them.
This time around, the Lady Blazers were giving their all, and were keeping up with the Tigers.
However, it wasn’t quite enough to stop them from taking victory, scoring 20 points to 16 in the last term to eventually finish 65-57 winners.
Faith McKenzie had another strong outing, finishing with 19 points, while Georgia Hiscock and Maddy Egan had 10 points apiece.
It was soon the men’s turn to take to the floor, desperately needing a win against the Castlemaine Cannons to keep their season alive.
After an overtime battle in their last meeting, the game was promised to be another thriller, and it well and truly delivered on its promise.
A tight first quarter saw Maryborough take the lead by the narrowest of margins, scoring 19 points to 18.
In the second term, the Blazers were able to make a move in what was an entertaining quarter, scoring 27 points to 24 to move four points clear by half time.
The third quarter saw Castlemaine hit back, scoring 18 points to 16 to reduce the margin to just two points at the final change.
With the game on the line, Zac Dunmore and Bailey Jacobs stepped it up to prevent the Cannons from inflicting a second defeat on the Blazers, as they eventually finished with a three-point win, 82-79.
Dunmore was enormous throughout, finishing with 29 points as he continued to show the league his worth as a walking bucket, while Jacobs’ strong outing yielded 23 points.
Brady Neill and Lochlan Oellering also finished with 10 points apiece.
The Blazers now face a double-header for round six, with the Lady Blazers travelling to Bendigo on Saturday night, while the men’s Blazers will be in Echuca.
On Sunday, both teams will be at home as they take on the Macedon Ranges Rockies.