Seymour and Benalla kicked off 2023 in dominant style as they etched wins in the first week back from the Country Basketball League mid-season break.
Both North-East CBL outfits enjoyed a dream return to the court with Seymour downing a depleted Albury Cougars 102-63 on Saturday night, followed by a comfortable 80-49 triumph over Mansfield Eagles on Sunday.
After months of waiting, Benalla made its triumphant return to its home stadium on Saturday night with a sizzling 100-68 win over Wangaratta Warriors.
Seymour’s dominant return from the mid-season break leaves it in top spot on the ladder after 13 rounds, while the Breakers remain locked in third.
Led by a dominant Tom Downie, who posted 27 points, the Breakers were far too strong across the floor for the Warriors as they raced away to chalk up their eighth win of the campaign.
The round 13 contest at Benalla Indoor Centre was a memorable night for everyone in the stadium as the home side stepped out onto the floor for the first time since last year’s devastating floods impacted the region.
“It was so good to be back in our home stadium and playing in front of our home fans,” Breakers’ head coach Wally Armstrong said.
“We had a really good crowd in to watch the boys and they were right into it and getting vocal right from tip-off which was great.
“The atmosphere was electric.”
The home crowd was raucous from the start of the match.
Benalla got the early jump on its opponents and registered a sizzling 16-0 opening run — one of its best starts to a match this season.
The Breakers were boosted by the return of talented tall Lachie Kego, who has been sidelined through an ankle injury, and looked to have not missed a beat with his 14-point game.
Downie was the beneficiary of Kego’s inclusion in the line-up, with the centre able to share the load of attacking the board with his fellow big.
Talented guard Eric Miraflores was outstanding again with 20 points, while Sam Beks (11) and Jordan Birch (10) provided plenty of support.
Meanwhile, Seymour Blasters’ gun talent Robbie Sartori spoke early this week about his side’s return to the court.
“Albury were undermanned on Saturday night, which is always something that affects clubs at this time of the year with people away and what not,” he said.
“I don’t think we can read too much into their performance. I still think Albury, at full-strength, is one of the most talented teams in the competition.
“We were still able to execute a few things and got some vital minutes into the legs of the boys. We did what we needed to do and it was great to be back out there.”
Jordan Hockley led the way with 24 points in what was a sublime shooting night, while teammates Keenan Gorski (17) and Tyler Best (15) provided strong contributions on the floor.
On Sunday the Blasters travelled to take on a Mansfield outfit that sits bottom of the ladder.
The Blasters were able to quell Mansfield’s attack and soon gained the upper hand on the contest as they ran out convincing 80-49 winners.
Sartori applauded the efforts of his side, while he praised the performance of an “improved” Mansfield.
“They really stuck with us at the start of the game ... full credit to Mansfield, I thought they were really impressive,” he said.
“Once we got the lead we were able to work on a few things offensively and defensively. We’re not shying away that we need to improve and work on a few things.”