Picture: TREVOR JACKSON
ACTION returns to the Icehouse tomorrow night as the Pioneers host Norwood Flames in round five of the Basketball SA Premier League season.
After securing a win for both men and women last time the Pioneers hit the court, the pressure will be on to replicate that effort.
However, the Flames are sure to throw up a challenge, with the men undefeated after five games.
For the women both teams have won just the one game.
The Flames managed a close win over the West Adelaide Bearcats last round, while the Pioneers were impressive on their home court the week before, with a high-pressure seven-point victory over Southern Tigers.
Both the Pioneers men and women have had the luxury of a week off with a bye and should be refreshed and ready to go, while the women will see new American recruit Pachis Roberts suit up for her first game.
MEN
THE Pioneers were well led last game by the Daly brothers, with captain Tom setting the standard with a huge 40-point performance.
Sam was impressive in his first hit out with the team, with 23 points to his name.
DayJar Dickson also showed his value, with 16 points, while fellow American Kentrell Barkley found himself in foul trouble, but still pulled down 14 rebounds.
Youngster Lachie Hunter contributed a double-figure return, in a high-scoring game which required the home side to dig deep to keep the visitors at bay.
It was certainly an entertaining contest for the first home game and more of the same can be expected tomorrow night.
The Flames have three times reached 90 points this season, with their offensive play clearly capable of piling on the points.
They have claimed close wins to a couple of teams above the Pioneers on the ladder, but also managed a mauling 24-point win over the third-place West Adelaide last time out.
After just three games this season the Pioneers sit with two wins and a first-up loss.
In the opening contest the Pioneers went down to North Adelaide by a fair margin, but bounced back the following day with a 35-point drubbing of Sturt.
That first-up double-header came with Barkley only three days in the country and without Sam Daly in the roster.
The last game against the Tigers saw a full side take to the floor, with Daly fresh off a stint as a development player with the Sydney Kings.
With the two Americans settled in and Daly now with a couple more weeks up his sleeve, the full power of the Pioneers should be on display at the Icehouse.
Coach Richard Hill said he looks forward to the challenge after a week off.
“They have been going okay, so it will be nice to inflict their first loss,” he said.
“We played two games and had a week off, then played another game and had a week off, so I think the guys are sick of training.
“More training time is good, but it is not the same intensity as playing.
“The guys just want to get out and play.”
With five wins from as many games, Hill said he expected a tough challenge from the Flames.
“They are a decent team,” he said.
“They have a bunch of guys who have been there for a long time and have added two pretty good players.
“They have beaten West Adelaide and they have beaten North Adelaide, who on paper both look like they will be around the mark.”
Hill said his side would need to curtail the Flames’ scoring ability, after giving up 98 points against the Tigers last time out.
“We will need to improve our defence, so hopefully we will have a plan that works,” he said.
“The two best players for Southern got off for 62 points between them and you do not want that happening.
“But at the same time they were pretty good players and we had a bloke who went for 40, so we have our share of quality too.”
The men’s match tips off at 8.15pm tomorrow night.
