James Murphy
IT was yet another thrilling finish for the Mount Gambier Pioneers women on Saturday night.
After a four-quarter arm wrestle against the Nunawading Spectres, a clutch play from Hannah Young gave the Pioneers possession and they clinched the lead with 37 seconds left on the clock in front of a home crowd.
The scoreline see-sawed throughout the match, with the Pioneers up by four at half time, before a lapse in the third presented a challenge heading into the final break.
Jasmine Howe top-scored for the Pioneers with 24 points and her efforts in the final quarter proved the difference, which included the winning two-point layup to hand her team the win.
She was beaten only by Nunawading’s Alice Kunek on the night, who scored an impressive 30 points, along with 15 rebounds – 11 of which were from the defensive end.
Kunek provided a real challenge for the Pioneers, but in the end persistency paid off and they were able to keep themselves in the challenge when it counted.
The third quarter almost cost them in the end, with a four-point lead turning into a 10-point deficit heading into the final stanza.
Inaccuracy was the main issue, while a few skill errors also cost dearly.
However, a renewed effort in the final stanza saw the Pioneers do what they do best – fight until the last second.
The quarter started as an arm wrestle, which included a two-minute scoreless patch, as both teams rebounded and turned over the ball in a struggle for ascendancy.
That was finally broken when Hannah Young drained a three-pointer to bring the margin in to five.
A turnover followed which allowed Howe to convert from a layup and suddenly it was a three-point game with just under four minutes to play.
A three-point bomb from Howe tied things up, before Nunawading edged in front again with a free throw and a two-pointer.
When a time out was called with a minute-and-a-half on the clock, the visitors held a three-point lead.
As played resumed, the Pioneers’ defensive efforts went into overdrive and despite relentless attempts, they denied Nunawading any further score.
When Haliegh Reinoehl scored off a Cassandra Brown steal the difference was a point with 52 seconds left.
With the Spectres in possession it was dangerous territory for the Pioneers, but when Young earned the rebound off a missed three-pointer, the ball hurtled down the other end of the court.
Howe ran into the hoop and a two-point layup sealed the deal with 37 seconds to play.
The pressure was on the Spectres and as such a shot clock violation was forced, leaving the Pioneers with 0.6 seconds of possession before the final buzzer sounded.
Young finished with a solid 17 points and seven rebounds – all at the defensive end – while Sherrie Calleia worked hard all game and finished with eight rebounds and 14 points.
Head coach Matt Sutton was proud of the fight shown from his team on the night.
“Nunawading are an outstanding outfit,” Sutton said.
“To beat them in any fashion is a good result for us.”
He said he was pleased with the turnaround in the final quarter after a pep talk at three-quarter time.
“We talked a little bit about our effort and commitment, but also just some of the game plans had to change a little bit,” he said.
“We were in foul trouble across that third quarter, so the match-ups weren’t necessarily how we wanted them to be.
“Going into the last quarter we got the match-ups back on track which helped us in the end.”
Every player had their moment in the spotlight, but there were a couple of plays which proved the difference.
“Olivia Wormald dove on a loose ball which she was probably out of position to get and Hannah’s effort to get that loose ball at the end was really pleasing,” Sutton said.
“It just showed how much the girls care and how much it means to them.”
He thought Howe played her best game of the season and her nine points in the fourth quarter were pivotal.
With the competition as tight as ever and only six games left in the minor season, Sutton said every win will be vital for the third-placed Pioneers.
“It is a very tight finish for a finals spot,” he said.
“Right down to eighth are only on six losses.
“You have to keep winning if you want to stay in the finals’ race, so that was important for us.”
Another home game this Saturday will match the Pioneers up against fifth-placed Launceston.
They are yet to play the Tornadoes this season, but Sutton expects a tough opponent, especially if Keely Froling does not have Opals commitments.
Kelsey Griffin and Marianna Tolo round out the “big three” for the side and are sure to keep their hosts busy on the night.
However, Sutton said he remains confident in his team.
“We fancy ourselves against anyone in the league and I feel good about our preparation,” he said.
