THE excitement grows for the Mount Gambier Pioneers women’s team, with its first home game in the Basketball SA Premier League set down for tomorrow night at the Icehouse.
Up against Southern Tigers in round three of the competition, the Pioneers will chase their first win in their debut season.
A bye in round two has provided valuable time for the fresh-faced lineup, as the team continues to gel, after it was hastily put together in the lead up to the competition.
The young side narrowly missed out on a win in its first game, but fell to North Adelaide Rockets by nine points.
That game – and the Sunday clash with the Sturt Sabres – saw American import Amanda Frost lead the charge, with young-gun Emily Winter also in fine form under the hoop on the Saturday.
Frost walked away from the double-header with a total of 38 points, with a game-high 22 and four assists against the Rockets her best result.
Winter also had an impact on the scoreboard in that match, nailing 21 points in the four quarters.
Both players will guide the fresh-faced side in attack again tomorrow, while Maddy Wormald is another who performed well in the second round-one game and she will hope to raise the bar this week.
The clash against the Sabres saw an accuracy problem for the Pioneers, which in part can be blamed by the exhaustion of playing in extreme heat the previous day.
However, it is a crucial element to winning games and the team will want to be on target tomorrow in front of a home crowd.
Just two players in the roster can be classed as seniors, with Frost and Melissa Russell providing valuable on-court guidance to the young team.
Youngsters Keryl Ousey and Olivia Wormald were commended for their efforts in the opening round by coach Matt Sutton, while Emily Dawe, Sarah Nulty and Claire Hunter complete the team, which boasts some successful junior Lakers and state representatives.
Despite their youth, the Pioneers are eager to showcase their talent at the Icehouse in front of a strong home-crowd.
Regardless of the results, fans are in for a treat and can expect two games of-high-standard basketball.
The women’s match is set to tip off at 6.30pm, with the men’s clash to follow.
