Bested by Seymour’s Tyler Best, the reigning premier Blasters were too much for the Breakers to handle on court one of Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre on Saturday.
The Breakers were up for the fight in the first term, holding the lead more than halfway through the quarter before Best began to stamp his authority in the paint with six of the next eight Blasters points to put Seymour up six at the first break, 20-14.
It was the momentum shift that propelled Seymour towards minor premiership contention, as while Benalla’s Aaron Hamill scored a quick bucket as the second term began, the Blasters then ripped through the Breakers to slam dunk a statement.
Seymour would go on a 10-point unanswered run before Benalla’s Matthew Hedger and Matthew Bartlett finally ended the scoring drought, but another nine-point run followed for Seymour as Harry Stones turned up the scoring prowess for the men in red.
The unstoppable shooting streaks lifted the Blasters to a 17-point half-time lead of 40-23, stunting Benalla’s aims for a second win of the CBL North East men’s season.
In the third term, life didn’t get much better for the Breakers.
Seymour turned up the heat after the main break’s huddle, banking buckets from the post, fading away from the mid-range, and spot up shooting from beyond the arc.
The Blasters’ team chemistry was in a complete flow state, and while former Big V Shepparton Gators Bartlett and Sam Beks dished out dimes and found their own respective long-range buckets, the Breakers were left in the dust.
Seymour extended its advantage by a further 20 points after a 34-point term, leading 74-37 ahead of the last 10-minute period.
With the game decided, Seymour went through the motions on the home court hardwood in the final term, as Benalla matched the Blasters how it had done so in the first term.
However, Seymour still remained too good to best, with the Breakers losing the term by two points for a 39-point defeat, 95-56.
Bartlett top scored for the Breakers with 20 points, while Aaron Hamill (nine) also had an admirable performance in the loss.
Benalla is now eighth on the CBL table with a 1-3 record, and face fellow one-win side Albury on Sunday, November 8 at Benalla Indoor Recreation Centre for its bid to return to the winner’s column.
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