Seymour Blasters retained their rightful place atop the Country Basketball League north east division mountain with a stunning grand final triumph over Benalla Breakers last Saturday night.
The Blasters secured a magical three-peat, and the club’s ninth title in two decades, with a 71-53 win at Albury’s Lauren Jackson Stadium.
It was a signature performance from the Blasters and one that the club’s loyal supporters have come to expect from the competition’s powerhouse outfit.
In typical Seymour fashion it was superb defence, led by grand final MVP Tom O’Connor, that was the catalyst during the early stages of the decider.
Without key big Keenan Gorski, who injured his knee on the eve of finals, O’Connor locked down Benalla’s dangerous talls while reliable Seymour captain Robbie Sartori kept opposition star guard Eric Miraflores to just 11 points.
While it was those mainstay names who have been a part of Seymour’s dominance in recent years, emerging talent Abraham Solano — in just his second year at the club — showcased he can be a player to take Seymour forward with a sublime 17-point game.
Season MVP winner Tyler Best (12 points) may not have reached the scoring heights of his previous matches, but the star guard did more than enough in ensuring his Blasters reached a 15th grand final appearance in 20 years.
It was that sort of night for the Blasters. The game was defined by their teamwork, defensive prowess and ability to have multiple contributors help add another banner to the rafters at Seymour’s sports stadium.
Head coach Craig Hockley said the win capped off what was undoubtedly one of his most treasured summers at the helm of the Blasters.
“It was an amazing night. To claim a three-peat is a pretty good achievement. To go through the season undefeated, for us to lose Keenan before finals, to then make adjustments and still come out on top is very special,” he said.
“The support we had was enormous. The crowd was great and made an impact on the night.
“I’m just proud of everyone involved and who played a part in this season. To have this reward, it says a lot about the culture we have created here and it’s a credit to all the boys who stuck fat and got us here.”
The game itself was a typical low-scoring grand final, according to Hockley.
Benalla got the early jump and led 18-15 at the first break.
Seymour did enough to restrict the Breakers in piling on more to the lead, but it wasn’t until an unsportsmanlike foul halfway through the second term that the momentum of the contest changed.
What prevailed next was a 25-6 quarter performance in favour of Seymour as Solano and O’Connor led the charge.
Jordan Hockley and Solano both traded some daggers from beyond the arc and created crucial turnovers at the other end.
Seymour’s commanding 40-24 lead at the main break never looked like being reined in by Benalla and, as the saying goes, the rest is history.
THE GAME
Seymour Blasters 71 d Benalla Breakers 53
Scorers: Abraham Solano 17, Tom O’Connor 12, Tyler Best 12, Jordan Hockley 11, Harry Stones 8