By Trevor Jackson
THE Mount Gambier Pioneers men have split a double-header road trip to Tasmania, with a win and a loss over the weekend.
The men faced Hobart Chargers on Friday night and succumbed to the tune of 15 points.
Even a big Jacob Lampkin double-double of 31 points and 13 rebounds was not enough to get the visitors across the line, with a 102-87 scoreline.
Hobart set the scene4 early with a 37-26 opening term and the Pioneers struggled to keep pace from there.
Apart from an early lead, the Pioneers were at the mercy of the Chargers, who won each but the final quarter.
By the long break the margin had stretched out to 15 points and the Pioneers needed something special to remain in touch.
Unfortunately that did not come in the third term, as the home side continued to pile on the hurt and led by 19 points at the final break.
The men started the final term with a Dylan Marshall three, followed by a William Mayfield two before the Chargers hit back.
However, with five minutes to play the margin had crept back out to 19 points and a tough prospect lay in front for the Pioneers.
Lampkin tipped in a two, then followed up with a dunk to close the margin slightly, but the Chargers responded with a triple and continued on their way.
Nick Marshall iced a pair of free throws, then Dylan Marshall drained a triple, but time was fast running out.
A two-point jump shot to Lampkin and another pair of free throws to Nick Marshall was all the Pioneers could muster and the game was done.
Lampkin outscored all-comers, while Nick Marshall (18) and Dylan Marshall (14) were the only other Pioneers to reach double figures.
From there the Pioneers licked their wounds and headed to face NW Tasmania Thunder on Saturday night, in what became and exciting contest.
The Pioneers claimed the win, but by just a solitary point.
The Thunder won the first quarter by two points and from there the two sides could barely be separated.
The Pioneers went one point clear at the long break and it would remain that way at the final buzzer.
Both sides shot 18 points in the third term, then 16 each in the final stanza to give the Pioneers a well-deserved victory.
Lampkin again topped the scoring for the Pioneers with another well-crafted double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Nick Marshall (19), Titus Robinson (15) and Tom Kubank also reached double figures.
The results pushed the Pioneers back down to third position on theladder, just a percentage point behind Frankston Blues.
Just one round now remains, with the Pioneers to face yet another double-header road trip to face the Waverley Falcons on Saturday night and the Eltham Wildcats on Sunday.
