By Trevor Jackson
IN a low-scoring contest, the Mount Gambier Pioneers women suffered their first loss of the 2022 NBL1 South Season on Saturday.
The women went down to Ringwood Hawks, with a 62-55 defeat in the first of two road games.
However, they bounced back on Sunday with a 93-60 win over Keilor Thunder.
Against Ringwood the Pioneers started well, as both sides pushed to create the ascendancy.
The Hawks won the quarter but by just five points.
The Pioneers closed the margin somewhat in the second term, outscoring the Hawks 16-13, with a big second half set up.
The third term produced a defensive stoush, with just 21 points scored by both teams.
The Pioneers had the better of it with 11 of those 21 points, to close the margin and trail by just one point and the final break.
From there the game went basket-for-basket, with the home side winning the term by six points to take the victory.
Cassandra Brown topped the scoresheets with 19 points for the Pioneers, while Sherrie Calleia contributed 11 and Jasmin Howe 10.
Despite the loss against the Hawks, coach Matt Sutton said there was plenty to take from the game.
“They are an outstanding defensive team and played us really tough,” he said.
“They made it hard for us to get room to score.
“It was a good learning curve for us and a game we will be better for experiencing.”
Sunday’s game began as an even contest, with both sides finding plenty of the basket.
Little separated the two sides for three quarters, with the Pioneers up by 10 at the final break.
From there the Pioneers put on a clinic, with a 33-10 final quarter to assert their authority.
Brown again topped the scoresheets, this time with a huge 27-point game.
Calleia and Hannah Young both hit 22, while Howe contributed 14.
Sutton described the contest as a “real dogfight early”.
“It was a very physical game and we struggled to break away,” he said.
“We didn’t capitalise on easy opportunities early in the game and felt like we could have separated the score a bit sooner.
“But the girls stayed on course, found a breaking point in the last quarter and ran away with it.”
The final term was certainly one-way traffic, as the Pioneers hit their straps.
Sutton said much of that came from the momentum created in the third quarter.
“We felt in the third quarter we were starting to find some cracks and gain some momentum,” he said.
“We kept our foot on the pedal at the start of the fourth, felt there was a breaking point to find and we found it.”
Sutton said Brown’s effort over the weekend was no surprise.
“She is just a really good and crafty player who can really score the basketball,” he said.
“She just doesn’t stop.
“Even in the Ringwood game when we were struggling to score, she just finds a way to keep putting points on the board which is important at this level.”
While Haliegh Reinoehl is still out with a broken hand from a training incident, Sutton said it provided a chance for other players to step up and to try a different approach.
“The silver lining, is you can see where your group is at and find some other ways,” he said.
“You never know how the season is going to track.
“We are certainly looking forward to have her back and hopefully she will be right for next week’s home game against Melbourne, but definitely the next road trip.”
The Pioneers remain top of the South conference ladder, just ahead of Geelong Supercats.
Both sides have a 5/1 win/loss record this season and will face off Friday night at the Icehouse.
“They took care of Ringwood last time they played them, which gives us some perspective of what we are up against,” Sutton said.
“They have Sarah Blicavs who was at the last Olympics and some WBNBL players.
“It is a short week for us to prepare and we will have to be at our best.”
Sutton said at this early stage of the season he is pleased with how the team has performed.
“I am happy but I think maybe we have been underestimated a bit and have capitalised on that,” he said.
“I think it will get tougher from here now we have made a bit of noise and teams will be a bit more prepared.
“Teams will settle as the season goes on but we have done what we needed to get away to a good start.”
Friday night’s game tips off at 6pm at the Icehouse.
