Trevor Jackson
ACTION returns to the Icehouse Saturday night when the Mount Gambier Pioneers host the Kilsyth Cobras in Round 8 of NBL1 South basketball.
The top-placed men face yet another tough task, with the Cobras currently sitting in third place on the ladder.
From their 11 games, Kilsyth has won seven, while the Pioneers have claimed nine wins from their 10 outings.
The last time the Pioneers hit the floor they claimed a 109-91 win over the Frankston Blues, before backing upon the Sunday where they made short work of the Nunawading Spectres, with a 113-74 final score.
It was somewhat of a turning point for the Pioneers, who missed the services of Tom Daly early in the season.
It was his second round back in action and it was clear he had found some of his previous form.
Against the Blues, Daly finished with 12 points and pulled down seven rebounds in a solid effort.
He backed up against the Spectres with 18 points in just 17 minutes of court time.
American import Clevon Brown also showed some impressive form as he continues to settle into the roster and the country.
Against the Blues he dropped 12 points and grabbed five rebounds, while against the Spectres he added 15 points and nine rebounds.
Add to that another impressive weekend from Michael Harris, with a total of 56 points for the weekend and a clear picture begins to emerge.
With Nick Marshall, Tom Kubank, Kane deWit, Jordan Rawls and Erik Burdon, the roster certainly looks strong.
Of course the Cobras will be no easy-beat and the Pioneers will need to be at their best to claim the win in what promises to be another exciting clash.
The Pioneers women have the same winning record as the men and also sit top of the ladder.
However, the Cobras sit down in 14th position, with just four victories.
While it may seem a foregone conclusion, all games at this level are tough.
The big thing for the Pioneers is their ability to remain in any contest regardless of the opponent.
Import players Cassandra Brown and Haleigh Reinoehl have certainly shown their true value, with Brown averaging more than 21 points per game, along with a touch over eight rebounds.
Reinoehl averages 10.6 and 6.6, even after missing some games through injury.
Shakera Reilly, Sherrie Calleia and Hannah Young returned from last season and have taken their games to another level.
Young has returned impressive figures, particularly rebounds, where she averages 9.2 per game.
Calleia controls the floor and averages 17.8 points per game, while Reilly was a big focus against Geelong when she drained a buzzer-beating three to win the game in overtime.
The remaining regular players in Jasmin Howe, plus Maddie and Olivia Wormald all add to the spectacle, along with a few younger players keen to claim some court time.
Saturday night’s clash against the Cobras will provide the perfect curtain-raiser to the men’s game and certainly not one to miss.
The women’s game tips off at 6pm, followed by the men at 8pm.
