Sport
22 October, 2024
Blazers’ mixed weekend, with one win from four
The Maryborough Blazers had a mixed weekend of action with one win from four games.
Both teams ventured to Red Energy Arena in Bendigo for the first of their double-headers, with the Lady Blazers up first against the defending champion Bendigo Braves.
Without a win at that stage of the season, it looked as though things would continue at the same trajectory early on Saturday night, with the Braves scoring 26 points to 16 in the opening term.
The Braves continued to appear to have all the answers in the second term, despite Maryborough picking up their scoring rate in the second term, scoring 21 points to 20 to lead 47-36 at the main break.
Then, things started to happen for Maryborough.
A 13-2 run to open the third quarter was driven largely through Keisha Tonzing, who scored eight of her 10 points for the quarter to draw the scores level by the midway point of the term.
While Bendigo were able to settle from there, both teams turned for home locked together on 59 apiece after the Lady Blazers scored 23 points to 12 for the quarter.
A trio of big three-pointers, with two from playing-coach Faith McKenzie and one more from Maggie Tranter, gave the Lady Blazers a five-point lead early in the last quarter, but the Braves hit the front halfway through the last term.
However, the Lady Blazers were impressive in holding the Braves scoreless for the last five minutes, with Tonzing, Aislinn McCarthy, Tranter and McKenzie all scoring buckets to give Maryborough a memorable 78-72 victory.
Tonzing and Tranter scored 18 points apiece in a well-rounded team effort, with McCarthy scoring 14 points, Maddy Egan scoring 13 points and McKenzie 12.
It was the men’s turn to play Bendigo, but the same result could not be produced.
The Braves again got the jump to lead 27-15 at the first change, but they would soon extend their lead with a 23-7 term to all-but have the game in their safekeeping at half time with a 50-22 lead.
Maryborough would at least improve their scoring in the second half, but the damage was well and truly done.
Bendigo increased their half time lead by six points by the final change, leading 70-36, before easing their way home, despite Maryborough having their best quarter of the night with 23 points, to eventually win 94-59.
Despite the loss, Brady Neill performed strongly, scoring 15 points, while Lachlan Drummond scored 12 points and Bailey Jacobs 10.
The second day of the double-header started with the Lady Blazers venturing to Kyneton to take on the Tigers.
It was a competitive start, with both teams going bucket-for-bucket, however, it was Kyneton which opened up a three-point lead at the opening change, 16-13.
Scoring was incredibly hard to come by as the second term started, with Kyneton scoring the only four points in the first half of the second term, but they would eventually clear away, scoring 13 points to the Lady Blazers’ four to lead 29-17 at the main break.
Kyneton continued to prove a little too strong in the third term, scoring 20 points to 13 to increase their lead to 49-30 at the final change.
The Tigers again won the final quarter by seven points to ensure they would take a 26-point win, scoring 73 points to 47.
Tonzing again performed strongly, scoring 12 points, while McKenzie and Demi Thompson scored 10 points apiece.
The men finally got their chance to host their first home game of the season as they took on the Castlemaine Cannons.
The Blazers were looking to turn around a big loss to the Cannons in round one, and they started strongly in scoring the first seven points.
However, the Cannons were able to level things up by the end of the quarter, especially with Maryborough getting into early foul trouble, with the scores tied up at 18 after the first change.
The second quarter belonged to Jacobs as he dominated every aspect of the game, grabbing big rebounds, setting up others for good scoring opportunities, and at the end of it all, taking the ball to the cup himself, scoring 14 points for the quarter to give himself a 19-point haul by half time.
The Blazers would eventually take a 43-34 lead as a result at the main break.
Castlemaine would fight back to start the third term, but the Blazers seemed to have every answer as they went on a 6-0 run which was capped off by a Jack Hexter dunk.
However, the Cannons would have a strong finish to the term to reduce the Blazers’ lead to four points, 55-51.
The last quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with the Cannons taking charge early on thanks to a 7-0 run, before the Blazers regrouped.
In particular, it was Hexter who was getting hot, scoring seven points in under a minute, but he would soon sit out the remainder of the game after picking up his fifth foul.
That would hurt the Blazers’ momentum, as would the exit of Darcy Bond after he too picked up his fifth.
Castlemaine finished the better, and eventually earned their 80-76 win to leave Maryborough’s season wobbling at 1-4.
Jacobs finished with 25 points, while Bond (13 points), Drummond (11 points) and Hexter (11 points) also scored in double figures.
Pleasingly for Maryborough, they will now get a four-game home stand, starting with Sunday’s home double-header against Kyneton.