By Trevor Jackson
IT could not have been a better start for the Pioneers women in Saturday night’s NBL1 South clash against Diamond Valley.
The Pioneers were home at the Icehouse and turned it on for their dedicated supporters with a huge 99-58 victory.
Trailing at the first break, the Pioneers needed to regroup and find something to counteract the Eagles’ running game.
That came in the second stanza where the home side turned a three-point deficit into a seven-point advantage and went on from there.
A 24-9 points third term set the win up and the Pioneers were never troubled from there.
However, the final term saw a huge 32-13 return, with the home side clearly on top in all areas.
Coach Matt Sutton said it was a pleasing result but he was under no illusions about how tough the season ahead would be.
“We are happy to come away in Round 1 with a win and put a high score on the board,” he said.
“But we are under no illusions – Diamond Valley were missing some key players to their rotations.
“When we see them again they will be a much different team.”
Import Cassandra Brown slotted into the roster easily, with a 28-point game to show her true value.
Fellow import Haleigh Reinohl was also solid in her first game, finishing the night with nine points and seven rebounds.
Other double-figure scores came from Shakera Reilly (15), Sherrie Calleia (12) and Hannah Young (11).
Sutton said he was pleased to see the new players combining well with the more experienced members to provide such a strong outcome.
“It has been two weeks of pretty intense learning for the girls, trying to get our structures in place,” he said.
“We certainly have a long way to go there but I am pleased in Round 1 we could put a high score on the board, our assist numbers are high and our shooting percentages are high.”
The lineup is certainly impressive, with the last few years of building a strong base coming together.
That equates to a strong starting five, with talent left on the bench to ensure rotations have little effect on the quality on the floor.
“We think we have more depth this year and have plenty of shooting,” Sutton said.
“It could be anyone’s night on any given night, so hopefully it will be multiple people’s night.
“We certainly have the fire power to do it.
“We just have stay strong, stay disciplined and stay as a team.”
In another positive for the side, there is still plenty to work on to improve as the season unfolds.
Sutton said while it was all coming together, the season ahead would still throw up plenty of challenges.
“The scoring we put on was far better than I could have hoped for,” he said.
“But some of our defensive discipline and rotations was not at the level we need to be.
“Given how early we are within us as a group, some of that can be expected.”
After many disruptions in recent seasons due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Sutton said it was good to be back on the floor playing the game again.
“It was just fun to be there, fun to have the bright lights and music playing, the people in the stands,” he said.
“It was just fun to be part of it and I am glad to get that first one out of the way.
“Hopefully we can settle into the season without too many interruptions.”
The roster will be put to the test on Saturday night when the Pioneers host the Frankston Blue, a team Sutton expects to be a benchmark this season.
“Frankston is a really good team,” he said.
“They have Tessa Lavey and Darcy Garvin – one of the best in the competition.
“They have a number of other WNBL quality players so we will be up against it this week.”
After such a strong opening to the season, it may be tough to get the girls back up for such a big challenge.
However, Sutton said that should not be a problem with the group he has put together.
“They are competitive so they should be up for it, regardless of the situation,” he said.
“We just do our best to prepare, watch a lot of film, train hard, prepare for us and the other team.
“Hopefully we get the plans right.”
The game tips off at 6pm, Saturday night at the Icehouse.
