The OneFortyOne Pioneers women will hit the road for another Victorian double header in NBL1 South conference round 10 action.


Mount Gambier will take the court against the Kilsyth Cobras on Saturday night, before backing up against the Knox Raiders on Sunday afternoon.


The Pioneers should be rested and ready having enjoyed a weekend off for the King’s Birthday long weekend.


The previous week Mount Gambier took it right up to their Dandenong opponents at Wulanda, but could not get over the line after a tough start to the game.


Despite playing catch up the Pioneers went down 70-79.


Heading into Saturday night’s match the Pioneers are 12th on the ladder with five wins and eight losses, while the Cobras sit in 16th position, with four wins and 10 losses.


Interestingly, Kilsyth played Knox in round nine, with the Raiders taking the game 68-61.


The Cobras then had a narrow two point win over the Bendigo Braves.


The win for the Cobras ended a run of four straight losses, with Shannon Dufficy delivering 19 points, Abby O’Connor chipping in with 18, Nikita Young 14 and Anamaria Virjoghe 14.


Meanwhile, Sunday afternoon’s match against the Raiders will prove a challenge for Mount Gambier, with Knox sitting third on the ladder, having won 10 and lost only three.


Pioneers head coach Matt Sutton said his side was up for challenge and were preparing well for Kilsyth.


“It will be tough,” he said.


“They have got size and athleticism, they play really hard, they have had some good results lately.


“(The Cobras) are in good form and we will have to be at our best to compete with them.”


Sutton said the Cobras had several players who had the potential cause a problem for his team.


“They have got Nikita Young who is one of the real shining lights as a young player in our comp,” he said.


“There’s also Abbey O’Connor who is an import and is having an outstanding season, so we will have to quell both of those.”


While his side focusses on their one game at a time approach, Sutton said he had looked at Sunday’s opponents Knox.


“Knox are one of the favourites and definitely one of the best talented teams in our comp,” he said.


“They are going through a coaching change, so we will see what that brings in terms of structure.


“But they are definitely one of the marquee teams in our competition.”


Sutton said his team was looking forward to hitting the road for the tough matches.


“We have been playing our best basketball on the road, so we are looking forward to getting away and another challenge,” he said.


Sutton said his players had enjoyed the break, enabling them to rest and recuperate, however he believed there were no injury concerns.


“There’s nothing out of the ordinary, there are always things going on and bodies need recovering but we are going okay,” he said.


“Maddy Timms was away last week (playing for the New Zealand 3×3 Under 23 national team, representing Aotearoa in the FIBA 3×3 Nations League in Doha), she went well and I think her team finished second in their group.


“It’s always nice to get some family time and we are very lucky to get that opportunity and now we are raring to go.”


The Pioneers will return to Wulanda to host the Melbourne Tigers on June 20 and the Diamond Valley Eagles on June 27.