mmg.com.au

By Chalpat Sonti

Seymour’s mens basketball side has some soul-searching to do after being comprehensively outplayed by Wodonga on Saturday night.

The Blasters took a two point lead into halftime in a tough first two quarters and seemed set to battle out another long night against a long-time foe.

But it all went wrong from there. The Wolves won the third quarter 23-8 and the fourth term by six to run out 75-56 winners.

Robbie Sartori top-scored with 13 points for the Blasters and was the side’s best player along with Leigh Hockley.

Seymour coach Craig Hockley was left to ponder another fadeout.

‘‘We started like a house on fire and the shots were going down but the first five minutes of the third quarter we made three or four passing turnovers,’’ he said.

‘‘All of a sudden they got a bit of a run on and we couldn’t make a basket again. Our confidence just went and we couldn’t get back into the game.’’

Hockley played his under-18 side for the last five minutes of the game.

‘‘Wodonga were so much more physically bigger,’’ he said.

‘‘Their young guys are 20-21, ours are 16. That’s five years ecperience and weight on their bodies and it takes a while against the better teams to adapt to that stuff.’’

Seymour plays its first home game of the season against battlers Maryborough on Saturday night.

■The womens side overcame a difficult week, and the added handicap of having only six players, to push ladder-leading Wodonga all the way in the early game.

Just six points down at halftime, the Blasters also lost the game in the third term when outscored 21-2. Seymour roarded back in the final quarter to win that by four but ultimately went down 60-41.

Hockley is interim coach of the side after a serious illness sidelined Paul Comte earlier in the week. Hockley said the side played well in the circumstances.

‘‘A full group would probably really push them,’’ he said.

‘‘If we can get a full list together playing on a regular basis, it would be a great game next time they play. The weight of numbers got us in the end.’’

Tess Feery was again the standout, with 21 points, along with Nikki McDonald and Bec Bath, who returned to the court after a long absence, scoring nine points and getting more game time than expected after Lizzie Anderson racked up three fouls early.

■Saturday night’s games at the Seymour Sports and Aquatic centre against Maryborough start at 6pm (women) and 8pm (men).