By Lachlan Onions
THE Mount Gambier Pioneers women’s team picked up a clean sweep in Tasmania over the weekend with wins over the Hobart Chargers and Launceston Tornadoes.
In the first contest, the Pioneers claimed a 99-81 win over the Chargers but were made to work for it after a strong start from the hosts.
Hobart took an early 26-21 lead at the first break but momentum quickly shifted in the second quarter.
Mount Gambier outscored Hobart 29-15 to lay down the foundations for the win.
After a back and forth battle, the Pioneers held a 37-36 lead with just under four minutes left in the half, before they went on a 13-2 run to take a handy nine-point lead at the break.
Mount Gambier and Hobart traded blows in the third quarter, with the hosts managing to get within three points at one stage.
However, the class of the Pioneers shone through as they dictated play for the rest of the quarter to take a 76-65 lead with one term to play.
From there, Mount Gambier cruised to victory as it ran home 18-point victors.
The Pioneers showcased their depth in the first game with plenty of contributions across the board.
Miela Goodchild’s stellar season continued as she scored 26 points and recorded 12 rebounds in an impressive double-double.
She also hit six three-pointers form 12 attempts from beyond the arc.
Haliegh Reinoehl led the scoring for the Pioneers with 27 points.
Reinoehl was a force in the paint as she scored 12 free throws from 15 attempts.
Cassandra Brown (15) and Imogen Rock (14) were the other players to scored more than 10 points in the game.
The second game was far more testing for the Pioneers as they were forced to work for their 81-74 win over Launceston on Saturday.
The Pioneers started strongly to take a 22-12 lead at the first break.
They then extended the lead in the second quarter as Mount Gambier led by 15 points at half time.
The Pioneers continued to dictated terms in the third quarter and led by as much as 20 points late in the term.
However, the Tornadoes gave themselves a faint glimmer of hope as they reduced the margin to 16 points at the final break.
Launceston was fired up in the fourth quarter and all of a sudden, the pressure was on the Pioneers as their lead was reduced to a mere four points with a minute to play.
However, Brown’s composure was on full show as she scored a clutch bucket to give the Pioneers a six-point lead with 45 seconds on the clock.
From there, the Pioneers held on to claim a seven-point win.
Brown led the scoring for Mount Gambier with 21 points, while Goodchild also impressed with 18 points.
Isabella Brancatisano showed her class as she scored 15 points, while Reinoehl scored 12 points.
The Pioneers remain in third place with a win/loss record of 15 and 5.
With two games left in the season, Mount Gambier trails the second-placed Waverley Falcons by just one win – who they happen to play next week in the final round of the season.
