Tornadoes start the season perfect

THE Terang Tornadoes began the season on a high note, recording back to back wins.

The Terang Tornadoes won their first two games of the year as they look to make their mark on the 2025 Country Basketball League ladder.

The squad went two for two over the weekend with a 12-point victory over Horsham on Saturday

Terang and District Indoor Sport and Recreation Centre was abuzz with energy as the stands filled for the town’s Country Basketball League season opener.

The Tornadoes were tasked with taking on last year’s ladder leaders, the Horsham Hornets, and the home side did just that as the squad ran out 87-75 winners.

The Tornadoes started out sluggish in the first quarter, with good intensity and ball movement positioning the side well – but the shots were not finding the bottom of the net as Horsham charged out to a 19-13 lead.

The second quarter would see the men in the red and blue begin to heat up, however, outscoring Horsham 25-15 to head into the half time break with a 38-34 lead.

The third was just as impressive as the Tornadoes began firing from behind the arc, outscoring the Hornets 32-18 to head into the final quarter with a commanding 70-52 lead.

Jack Fowler top scored against the Horsham Hornets in the Tornadoes’ season-opening win.

The Hornets put up a fight in the final quarter, outscoring a cautious Tornadoes side by six, but the dominance of the second and third proved insurmountable for the visitors.

Jack Fowler top scored for the Tornadoes with a 24-point performance, while Tyler Vickers proved a spark plug of intensity to drop 20, including dropping four from behind the arc.

Captain Jake Bartlett was a guiding presence to record 14 points while James Hookway added 13.

The following afternoon saw the Tornadoes hit the road to take on Hamilton, which resulted in a thrilling 75-69 victory for Terang.

Terang struggled out the gate in a competitive affair as Hamilton carried a 23-22 lead into the second quarter.

The run of success would continue for the Hurricanes as the home side outscored the Tornadoes 19-16 to head into the half-time break with a four-point lead.

Terang was able to turn the tables, bouncing back to outscore the home side 16-14 in the third to set the stage for a tight final quarter.

Hamilton led with just over two minutes to go but some late-game heroics from Corey Jones and Jake Bartlett to stay composed saw the Tornadoes run out victorious thanks to a +7 final quarter.

Corey Jones top scored for the Tornadoes with 26 points while Jake Bartlett added 16 and Tyler Vickers added 13.

The Tornadoes will this weekend welcome the Hamilton Hurricanes to Terang from 7pm on Saturday, October 11 before travelling to Ararat to take on the Redbacks from 12noon on Sunday.