By Lachlan Onions
THE Mount Gambier Pioneers men’s team put in another promising preseason display in the NBL1 South Blitz in Melbourne over the weekend.
The Pioneers started the blitz with a two-point win over Waverley and then backed it up with an emphatic 24-point win over Bendigo on Sunday.
“We had a good weekend,” Pioneers men’s coach Richard Hill said.
“We had a really good game against Waverley – who are strong.
“On Sunday we played Bendigo and they were missing both their imports so they were a bit understrength.
“We were leading by as much as 30 at one point and won by 24.”
Hill was pleased with the progression from his new-look side this preseason as they have improved each weekend.
“There has been a lot of improvement,” he said.
While Mount Gambier’s side is a stark contrast to last season with only a couple of familiar faces on the roster, the style of play which Pioneers faithful have become accustomed to, has remained the same with wide-spread contributions from all players on the floor.
“Everyone really contributed,” Hill said.
“We had a number of guys who were really good.
“We had three guys with 20 points or more in the first game and a total of six in double figures.
“Then we had seven in double figures in the second game and a really good scoring spread.”
The weekend showcased Mount Gambier’s ability on the offensive end as the Pioneers scored 99 points in the first game and 97 in the second.
Hill was impressed with Nick Marshall – who was the standout player from the weekend.
“Nick Marshall stood out as our premier player, which is what we would expect,” he said.
“He was our MVP last year and he has continued to grow and improve and still has room for improvement.”
Hill also noted the impact of the two imports – Chris Seeley and Jacob Lampkin – who both had their say on proceedings.
“Chris (Seeley) had a pretty good weekend,” Hill said.
“He had a 20-point game in both and I think Jacob (Lampkin) was pretty similar.
“They both had really good weekends and are fitting in really well.”
