Agreat game of basketball took place at the Icehouse last weekend when the Pioneers Next Generation Academy Boys squad met the Warrnambool Under 18’s team.
The game was fast-paced throughout the first and second quarters with Harry Mules shooting the first two points of the game.
Already the Pioneers boys seemed like a force against Warrnambool but that did not mean they would give up.
The plays were well executed especially ones between Mackye Baron and Jackson Bowden.
The Warrnambool visitors also played well with great defence at the ring from Pwoch Akoch and Zac Ellamor.
Pioneer Zach Nulty attacked the ring well through the half from previous shooting attempts from Baron and Taj Brumby, with Jack Hagget also on the front foot to give the hosts a solid 51-36 lead at the main break.
Hagget, Baron and Mules attacked the ring well at the start of the third quarter, but Rupert Morlet was dominant defending the Pioneers’ ring.
The Warrnambool side applied well-thought out defensive strategies and the pressure could be seen from the sidelines, but Nelson Forbes and Mitch Garwood managed to sneak through some gaps.
Nulty and Bowden play good defence under the ring as some smart plays came from Pioneers head coach, Richard Hill.
Bowden even landed a three-point shot on the buzzer at the end to finish the Pioneers’ 105-73 win in style.
Mules said it was a solid team performance, but believed small areas such as communication and match fitness could have been improved.
“We started strong but the talking and communication was not well and we played better after we started talking to each other,” he said.
“When we started getting tired we dropped off, but we ran our plays well.
“The team was good, but it would be have been good with better shooting.
“The team could improve on voice and we did not talk when we should have and we dropped off in the last quarter.
“We also need to need to work on recognising our shooters.”
Keep your eyes open for more games from Pioneers Next Generation Academy Boys squad because you may even see a few on the bench this Saturday night.
