By Trevor Jackson
IT was a mixed weekend for the Mount Gambier Pioneers women, with a loss to Ringwood Hawks on Saturday night, before a strong win over Ballarat Miners on Sunday.
A tough Hawks roster was too strong for the Pioneers women on Saturday, claiming a 22-point victory on their home court.
A relatively even opening quarter to the Round 10 NBL1 South clash saw the Pioneers trail by just one point, but the home side stepped it up a notch after the first break to push the visitors out of their comfort zone.
A 26-17 second term opened the margin and put the Pioneers on the back foot.
A similar result for the third term saw the game break open and the Pioneers were simply unable to counter.
With a 76-58 deficit to overcome, the Pioneers needed something special but again the Hawks were up to the challenge and were not about to let their good work slip.
Another 25 points in the final stanza to Mount Gambier’s 19 handed the Hawks a comfortable 99-77 victory .
Just three Pioneers reached double figures as the Hawks defensive pressure was tough to overcome.
Once again Meila Goodchild was in top form, with 25 points and six rebounds.
Cassandra Brown contributed 17 and seven, while Haleigh Reinoehl added 10 and six.
Sunday’s result could not have been any more of a contrast, as the Pioneers controlled the contest from the outset, then simply built up the winning margin from there for a 1407-65 result.
The first quarter went the way of the Pioneers 21-16, before they increased the pressure and claimed the second quarter to the tune of 11 points.
The 16-point margin at the long break looked threatening for the Miners, but what happened next put the result beyond doubt.
A combination of solid offensive play and stifling defence saw the Pioneers jump away with a 35-9 term and make it all-but impossible for the Miners to close the gap.
The game ended as a 20-all final term, with the Pioneers home by 42 points.
Isabella Brancatisano topped the list with 28 points, ahead of Brown with an impressive double-double of 24 points and 15 rebounds.
Imogen Rock chipped in with 17 points, while both Sherrie Calleia and Reinoehl dropped 13, with Reinoehl also adding 10 rebounds for her own double-double.
