Picture: TREVOR JACKSON
IT was quite the night for the Mount Gambier Pioneers at the Icehouse on Saturday, with solid wins against the Central Districts Lions from both the men and women as they contested round 15 of the Basketball SA Premier League season.
While the women kicked off the night with an 84-57 point win, the men finished the proceedings in style, with a dominant 133-77 point triumph.
The men’s match was another dunk-fest, with no shortage of entertainment for spectators and by the first change it was clear how the game would pan out.
A strong first quarter set up the victory, with the Pioneers up 30-13 at quarter time.
From there it was all about the hosts and the Lions were unable to threaten their in-form rival.
It was a team game and the majority of the lineup boasted impressive numbers, with seven double-figure scorers for the match.
Captain Tom Daly led the way on the scoreboard with a game-high 27 points and was joined by Erik Burdon at the fore, who has made a timely return to form after injury.
He played what coach Richard Hill described as “his best game for the year”, as he scored 21 points and drained six of his 11 three-point attempts, while he also pulled down six rebounds, made six assists and took some good steals in the opening term.
The figures did not end there, with American import DayJar Dickson again at his best at both ends of the court, finishing the night with a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Fellow American Kentrell Barkley also carried his consistent form into the clash to end the night with an impressive 16 points, 18 rebounds and six assists, while Sam Daly fell just shy of a triple-double as he returned 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.
Rounding out the double-figures were Brad Rathjen, who scored 12 points and made six assists, while Lachie Hunter played a solid game at both ends as he came off the bench to finish up with 14 points and nine rebounds.
With statistics like that it is clear the Lions were going to struggle and despite a fairly consistent effort across the board, they could not match the intensity of their hosts.
They were best served by Lual Diing, who shot 16 points – level with the Pioneers’ fifth-best scorer.
Hill had expected a close game heading into Saturday, with plenty of talent in the Lions’ roster, but it was soon clear that was not to be the case.
“It was not what I expected to be honest,” he said.
“We came out really hard and our first quarter was outstanding.
“Then we were able to keep that going for the whole game.”
The scoreboard pressure started from a solid defensive effort, which has been a focus for the team this season.
“Historically we have been a very good defensive team, but this year we have not,” Hill said.
“We have spoken about it and spent time on it.
“It takes time to build the chemistry and trust on defence – more than offence.
“As the guys have had more time together they are getting better.
“The Norwood game was our best defensive game and we reproduced that again on Saturday night.”
That is something Hill said will need to continue as playoffs draw closer and the Pioneers will look forward to this week’s double header to continue their team development.
And if Saturday’s performance is anything to go by, its opponents will be in for a tough round.
“We did not have anyone who did not play well on Saturday to be honest,” Hill said.
“Erik had a tremendous game, defensively as well.
“He had three or four steals in the first quarter.
“He has been playing pretty well since he came back from injury and he is shooting the ball great.
“Sam was very close to a triple-double and Lachie came in off the bench and did everything we asked of him.”
Dickson also received praise from his coach, as he shows improvement every week he hits the court.
Looking ahead there is no reason to doubt the Pioneers will be a serious contender come playoffs and that prospect will only continue to grow as players continue to gel together.
“The more time they spend together on the court, the better it is going to be for us at the end,” Hill said.
