By Lachlan Onions
The Mount Gambier Pioneers faced a double-header for Round 11 as it faced Diamond Valley on Saturday, before Sandringham on Sunday.
The NBL1 celebrated First nations round across all conferences and the Pioneers marked the occasion as they wore a uniform which was designed by local Boandik people and represented their story.
The double-header got off to a promising start after the men defeated the Diamond Valley Eagles by seven points on Saturday.
After an evenly matched first five minutes, Nick Marshall hit two consecutive three-pointers which gave the Pioneers a surge in momentum and went into the first break with an eight-point lead.
The Eagles fought back early in the second quarter, but Mount Gambier was strong enough to keep the home side at bay and led by 13 points at one stage, before the margin was reduced to seven at halftime.
Diamond Valley fought back in the third term as the Pioneers struggled from the field and the Eagles reduced the margin to just one point at the final break.
Clevon Brown used his size to grab an offensive rebound and finished extended the Pioneers’ lead to three points to begin the fourth quarter, before Tom Kubank made a three-point jump-shot to reduce the pressure.
However, Ngor Manyang responded for the home side with a fade-away three-pointer but Brown hit back with a layup and the home side were never able to get within one shot of the Pioneers for the rest of the game.
The Pioneers held on to win 86-79 to claim their second victory of the season over the Eagles.
Mount Gambier was dominant with the ball in the final quarter as it shot with 50 percent accuracy from three-point range and 66 percent from two-pointers.
It was an impressive team performance from the away side as each starter scored at least 10 points.
Marshall was the top scorer for the Pioneers as he scored 26 points.
He was a force to be reckoned with as he made 10 free throws and recorded 14 rebounds to secure a double-double.
Michael Harris scored 18 points and was strong in defence as he made four steals.
The Pioneers were unable to keep their momentum rolling on Sunday as they lost to the Sandringham Sabres at the Southern Basketball Stadium by 13 points.
A sluggish start from Mount Gambier meant it was always up against it and went into quarter time with a five point deficit.
Sandringham found momentum in the second quarter and scored 12 points unanswered to extend the lead to 17 after just three minutes.
“We defended really poorly against Sandringham,” Pioneers Men’s coach Richard Hill said.
At halftime, the Pioneers trailed by 16 points and faced an uphill task to try and get a result.
Mount Gambier managed to reduce the deficit to 11 in the third quarter to give it a glimmer of hope into the final quarter.
However, the Sabres got to a strong start in the fourth term and the lead was blown out to 23 points with six minutes to play.
The Pioneers managed to reduce the margin and went on a 17-7 run to end the game but it was too little, too late, as the Sabres claimed a 92-79 victory.
“We didn’t play very well in either game,” Hill said.
“We scrambled a win against Diamond Valley, we didn’t shoot the ball well but just hung in and got over the line.
“I think Sandringham are going to be a top team and we just didn’t play well.”
Shea Ili put in a strong performance for the Sabres as he scored 30 points which included five three pointers from 10 attempts.
Marshall was the top scorer for the Pioneers again with 28 points and 13 rebounds for his second double-double of the weekend.
“Nick Marshall had two outstanding games,” Hill said.
“He carried a significant load for us in both of those games.”
Harris and Jordan Rawls were the only two other players to score more than 10 points.
Hill said he is still working to improve the chemistry of the team and assimilate Tom Daly and Brown effectively into the group.
“At the start of the year we were only playing six and a half guys and they were all playing a lot,” Hill said.
He said with Daly and Brown now in the side, the team should be stronger but it has taken time.
The Pioneers are now second on the ladder with 11 wins from 15 games.
“We need to get back on track and play some really good basketball,” Hill said.
“We have a style of play we really hang our hat on and we do need to continue to do that, we just need to do it better.”
As the Pioneers enter the business end of the season, Mount Gambier is currently in a strong position to make finals but cannot afford to slip up.
“We need to find at least three more wins to be sure of playoffs and in a perfect world, four or five to get a double-chance but that is not going to be easy,” Hill said.
He said his side needs to outperform their opponents on a more consistent basis.
Mount Gambier will look to bounce back and return to form when it takes on Nunawading at the Icehouse on Saturday.
The Pioneers claimed a 39-point win the last time they played the Spectres, but Nunawading enters the game off the back of a strong performance against the Hobart Chargers, who are at the top of the ladder.
