The Mount Gambier Pioneers notched up three wins from their NBL1 South conference weekend double header, marking their last home games of the season proper.
The OneFortyOne Pioneers and Castec Rural Pioneers hosted the Bendigo Braves at Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre on Friday night, before backing up against the Dandenong Rangers on Sunday.
The women could not quite get over the line against undefeated top of the ladder Bendigo, but were too strong for Dandenong, while the men had solid victories in both matches.
The Pioneers welcomed back sharp shooter Miela Goodchild from injury, while recruit Zitina Aokusa also played her first competitive minutes this season.
The side took to the court in the OneFortyOne blue strips, as part of sponsor’s round.
The Braves opened the scoring for the night, with both sides going basket for basket and the lead changing several times for the first half of the quarter.
Aokusa took the court at the half way mark of the stanza, with her impact felt immediately.
The home side continue to push Bendigo, but the Braves steadily pulled away to go to the first break up 23-17.
The Pioneers outscored the Braves 21-20 in the second quarter, with Isabella Brancatisano sending down two three pointers to give her side the lead briefly, with Aokusa and Goodchild chipping in with threes of their own.
The home side went to the break down 38-43.
The Braves took the court in the third quarter intent on shutting down the Pioneers, keeping them scoreless for the first four minutes of play before Imogen Rock landed a three pointer.
The Braves kicked up a gear, going on a 12-0 scoring spree in the final three minutes of the quarter to be up 65-46 at the final break.
The Pioneers were not done though, with Haliegh Reinoehl draining a three to open the scoring before the Pioneers sent down 10 points of their own while holding the Braves scoreless in the first five minutes of play.
From there they pulled the Braves’ lead back to five but it was too little, too late, as the Braves held on for a 75-68 win, despite being outscored 22-10 by the Pioneers in the final quarter.
Goodchild led the scoring with 22, with captain Cass Brown and Aokusa both shooting 11.
The Castec Rural Pioneers men showed their intent against the Bendigo Braves from the opening whistle, registering the first points of the match before jumping to an 11-2 lead.
Nick Marshall, Austin Shelley and Dylan Marshall drained threes to see their side up 29-19 at the first break.
Tom Kubank thrilled the crowd with a dunk in the first minute of play in the second quarter, before a pair of tech fouls rattled the Braves and the Pioneers outscored the visitors 22-9 to be up 51-28 at half time.
The Braves set about reducing the 23 point deficit in the third quarter, going on a 24-9 scoring run, which included keeping the Pioneers scoreless for three full minutes.
Dunks from Pioneers tall timber Jacob Lampkin and Titus Robinson brought the crowd to their feet, as the home side turned the tables and kept Bendigo scoreless for the last three minutes of play.
Robinson again wowed the crowd with his athletic prowess with a dunk to open the final quarter to take the Pioneers to a 20 point lead.
The Pioneers steadily pushed their lead out, with Kubank again dunking in the final four minutes of play.
Will Mayfield sent down a pair of threes, with Kubank also nailing a long range shot.
Head coach Richard Hill sent his young brigade on to close out the game, with Harry Mules, Jackson Bowden, Ben Young and Jack Haggett taking the floor.
The Pioneers won the game 93-65 with Nick Marshall scoring 18 points, Kubank a double double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Mayfield and Robinson scoring 11 points each.
In Sunday’s match, the OneFortyOne Pioneers proved too strong for the Dandenong Rangers.
The visitors won the tip off and jumped out to 5-4 lead before the Pioneers went on a 14-0 scoring streak in three minutes to be up 18-5 half way through the opening quarter.
The Pioneers applied pressure at both ends of the court to be in front 29-13 at quarter time.
The home side outscored the Rangers 18-14 in the second stanza to take a 47-27 lead into half time.
The Pioneers stepped it up a level in the third, with Brown, Rock and Aokusa all landing threes to increase the lead to 72-41 at the final change.
Head coach Matt Sutton sent the local youngsters on in the last quarter, with Keryl Ousey, Cara Nulty, Stella Mobbs and Tenielle Human getting court time.
The Pioneers ran out a 92-59 win, with Brown top scoring with 25, Goodchild 20 and Rock 12.
Sherrie Calleia notched up a double double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, falling just short of a triple double with nine assists.
The Castec Rural Pioneers took to the court in a yellow strip, courtesy of their naming rights sponsor in association with Lifeline.
The Rangers knocked down the first two points of the game, before Lampkin opened the Pioneers’ account with a slam dunk.
The sides traded baskets for the first five minutes of play until the Pioneers managed to slowly pull away, with a three pointer from Dylan Marshall extending the lead to 10.
Dandenong rallied to get back to within six points, however the home side closed out the quarter 25-13.
The Rangers landed the first two baskets of the second quarter, before Kubank steadied his side with a three pointer, however the Victorians managed to pull the lead back to seven.
But that was as close as they would get, with sharp shooting from the Marshall brothers and Shelley, and another Lampkin dunk, bringing the crowd to their feet and taking the lead to 49-35 at the main break.
A barrage of threes from Shelley and the Marshalls, with yet another Lampkin dunk, had the Pioneers outscore the Rangers 25-12 in the third and holding a 74-47 lead going into the last quarter.
Shelley landed another three three pointers in the final stanza with Hill again sending his young charges in Mules, Young, Haggett and Bowden on for valuable minutes.
The Pioneers took the win 90-71 with Nick Marshall contributing 21 points, Shelley 20 including six threes, and Dylan Marshall 14.
