MOUNT Gambier’s Under 18 Pioneers women have returned from the SA State championships with a credible fourth place overall finish on the weekend.
The girls faced a tough challenge in Adelaide, up against the best the state has to offer to finish second in their pool and then played off for third position, but went down to Sturt Sabres in their final game.
The competition began for the Pioneers on Friday, with a 62-56 win over South Adelaide Panthers.
The opening term went basket-for-basket, with the Pioneers trailing by three points mid-way through the quarter.
However, they soon closed that margin and held a slender two-point lead at the first break.
The Panthers levelled the scores after the break, but the Pioneers kept their noses in front, then trailed by two at the main break.
The third term saw Sarah Nulty, Claire Hunter and Maddie Haggett stand up and turn the game around, with a handy eight-point advantage at the final break.
From there they held on for a much-deserved victory.
Nulty top scored for the Pioneers with 14 points, Georgia Winter contributed 12 and Keryl Ousey 11.
Saturday saw the side struggle against a tough West Adelaide Bearcats outfit, which would eventually go down in the playoff final to Forestville Eagles.
The Bearcats defensive efforts held the Pioneers scorers at bay, with none able to break double figures.
In the end the Pioneers went down 61-37.
The Pioneers bounced back later that day with a comfortable 51-22 win over Central District Lions.
The Lions hit the first basket of the game, but from there the Pioneers went on a 13-0 run to take a solid lead at the main break.
By that stage the margin was 17 points and the Pioneers looked settled.
The Lions were on top in the third term, but were unable to close the margin right down, although they did mange to draw within 10 points at the final break.
From there the Pioneers hit their straps, with Emily Dawe, Winter and Nikeisha Facey all contributing the final margin.
Haggett finished with a game-high 14 points, while Dawe contributed 13.
The final round game saw the Pioneers at their best, with a strong 69-46 win over the North Adelaide Rockets.
Dawe kicked the first term off with a two-point basket, while Nulty finished it with a pair of free throws and a nine-point lead.
An 18-0 run through the middle of the quarter iced the game, with the Pioneers holding a valuable 39-17 lead at the main break.
The Rockets pegged the margin back somewhat in the third term, but still trailed by 15 at the final break.
Mid-way through the final stanza the Pioneers went on a 13-0 run to stamp their authority on the game and run out convincing winners.
Four Pioneers reached double figures this time, with Hunter having an impressive game with 22 points, while Nulty, Haggett and Dawe all finished with 11.
The team then progressed to the playoff for third place, but despite a solid effort was unable to overcome the Sabres.
The even contest saw the Pioneers trail by one point at the first break, then go basket-for-basket early in the second quarter.
The Sabres hit their straps late in the second and opened a match-winning lead, but the Pioneers continued to fight for the remainder of the contest.
The final margin was 16 points.
Dawe topped the scoresheets for the Pioneers with 16, while Nulty finished with 11.
