Captain leads consistent effort on the road

Amanda Frost Crop 220190428  TBW Newsgroup
TOP PERFORMANCE: Pioneers captain Amanda Frost drives to the basket on her way to a 30-point game Sunday against the Woodville Warriors in round nine of the Basketball SA Premier League season.

Amanda Frost Crop 220190428  TBW Newsgroup
TOP PERFORMANCE: Pioneers captain Amanda Frost drives to the basket on her way to a 30-point game Sunday against the Woodville Warriors in round nine of the Basketball SA Premier League season.

A CONSISTENT effort across two days saw the Mount Gambier Pioneers women return from Adelaide with a win and a loss after round nine of the Basketball SA Premier League competition.

Saturday night saw a hard-fought loss to Forestville Eagles, with the Pioneers falling short by just five points.

Captain Amanda Frost led the way from the front with a 23-point haul for the night.

Fellow American import player Pachis Roberts was also impressive, with a double-double consisting of 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Emily Winter joined the pair in double figures with 12 points.

Sunday the side backed up against the Woodville Warriors and enjoyed a strong 16-point victory.

Frost was at her best with 30 points, while Roberts recorded another double-double, this time with 27 points and 11 rebounds.

No other Pioneer reached double figures in that game.

While the Eagles claimed the win Saturday night, they certainly did not have it all their own way.

The opening term suggested the Pioneers had a long night ahead, with the Eagles out to a 20-14 quarter-time lead.

However, the visitors hit their straps in the second term, kicked off by an Emily Dawe layup in the opening minute.

Frost then went to the hoop for a regulation layup, before converting a resulting foul to trail by just one point.

The Eagles quickly responded and opened the margin to six points, but Frost went to the line for a pair of free throws to close it back to four.

Forestville added a pair of free throws, before Roberts and Frost found the hoop to draw to within two points.

The baskets continued back and forth until Winter iced a pair of free throws late in the term to tie the game up at the long break.

The third term saw much of the same, with the Pioneers out to a six-point lead early in the quarter.

The Eagles tied it up with four minutes remaining, but a Winter three and a Roberts two opened it back up again.

With a minute to play Olivia Wormald contributed one successful free throw, but a two-point basket to the Eagles had the margin at two points favouring the Pioneers at the final break.

From there neither side could make a decisive break, with the Pioneers trailing by four points with just 22 seconds on the clock.

Unfortunately they were unable to close the margin and had to settle for a 70-65 loss.

Sunday saw a dominant 23-12 first term to set up the victory for the Pioneers over the Warriors.

Much of that came from 10 points to Frost and nine to Roberts to set the scene.

The second term was a more even affair, with the Warriors banging on 15 points to the Pioneers’ 16.

Keryl Ousey managed a couple of early two-point baskets, while Winter made a classy hook shot to keep the advantage with the visitors.

Frost and Roberts continued their impressive game to hold a handy lead at the long break.

The momentum continued with the Pioneers in the third term where they stamped their authority on the game with a 26-13 quarter.

From there the Pioneers were able to cruise home to victory with a 78-62 result.

Both men’s and women’s teams will now prepare for another double-header road trip to face the Southern Tigers Saturday night, then back up against the Eastern Mavericks on Sunday.