Sport
27 November, 2023
Blazers’ season officially comes to a close
The season is officially over for the Maryborough Blazers in the Country Basketball League after a brave fightback fell short in both North West Men’s and Women’s divisions. The biggest fightback came from the women’s team, who shook off a 0-4...
The season is officially over for the Maryborough Blazers in the Country Basketball League after a brave fightback fell short in both North West Men’s and Women’s divisions.
The biggest fightback came from the women’s team, who shook off a 0-4 start to roar home with wins in five of their last six games, including impressive wins over finalists Bendigo Braves and Mildura Heat, highlighted just what could have been this season, as player unavailability cruelled them at the wrong times.
Playing-coach Faith McKenzie finished the season as the leading scorer in the competition, finishing with 198 points at an average of 19.8 points per game, and her ability to drive to the basket was a highlight, generating 132 points from inside the arc, as well as 45 from the free throw line.
Maddy Egan was another to star throughout the season, and in her eight games, averaged 17.25 points per game to finish 12th in scoring. Egan’s ability to score inside the paint stood out during the season, scoring all 138 points from inside the arc, including 26 from the charity stripe.
Perhaps the most pleasing aspect for the Lady Blazers in a long-term sense was the ability for younger players to leave their mark on the team, which could bode well for the future.
Players such as Paige Walkley, Zali Linton, Ella Patten, Kayley Walhouse and Sian Mortlock all got their opportunity to put in minutes for the team this year, giving them a taste of what it’s like at senior level.
Similar to the Lady Blazers, the men’s team were left to rue a slow start, and although they were still a mathematical chance of making the playoffs in the final round, two losses to Mildura and the Swan Hill Flyers in their final two games of the season left them in eighth position at the end of the season with a 4-6 record.
Losses in four of their first five games hurt the Blazers, including an overtime loss to Castlemaine, and 12-point losses to Bendigo and Bacchus Marsh at home.
But the Blazers had a purple patch in rounds five and six, defeating Castlemaine by three points, before defeating Echuca and Macedon Ranges.
There was no question that the team’s best form coincided with the availability of Zac Dunmore, with the Ballarat NBL1 product scoring 150 points in just five games — an average of 30 points per game. To put that into perspective, just three other players in the entire competition averaged over 20 points per game, highlighting how dominant Dunmore was.
Bailey Jacobs made a significant leap this season, averaging 16.1 points per game as he continues his ascent as one of the premier scorers in the competition. Jacobs’ three-level game saw him hit 40 points from the free-throw line, 70 points from inside the arc and 51 points from three-point territory.
Lochlan Oellering was handy in his first season with the team, scoring 99 points, while playing-coach Brady Neill moved into a different role this season, with the nine-time MVP coming off the bench, scoring 97 points.
