By Trevor Jackson
THE Mount Gambier Pioneers men head off for another road trip this weekend, this time for a playoff clash with Frankston Blues.
The qualifying final will see the winner advance to the preliminary final, with a week off to recover.
The loser will face do-or-die semi-final next weekend.
After a disrupted season, with personnel changes late and injuries concerns, the Pioneers finished third on the NBL1 South ladder, with a second chance in the playoffs.
There was little to separate the Blues and Pioneers on the ladder.
Mount Gambier lost one more game than Frankston, but both were impressive throughout the season.
Of their 22 games, the Pioneers won 15, while the Blues claimed 16 victories.
It adds up to an entertaining qualifying final, with the Pioneers set for a real tilt at the title.
The Blues hosted the Pioneers in the only clash between the two sides this season, with the Pioneers claiming the win by nine points.
A fast start for the Blues put the Pioneers on the back foot, but solid second and third terms put Mount Gambier back in front and they held on after an even final stanza.
That was early in the season, back in April for Round 2.
The Pioneers were a different side then, with Chris Sealey in the lineup and a fit Nick Marshall, while Tom Kubank was away on overseas duties.
Sealey has been replaced by fan-favourite Titus Robinson and Nick Marshall again appears fit, after injury concerns put him out of action for a chunk of the season.
Kubank has certainly made his presence felt since returning to the country and the roster.
For coach Richard Hill it will be another tough weekend, but said he has a fit side ready to go, except for Julian Pesava who is still battling knee issues.
As for the changes in the roster, Hill said six games in 15 days has certainly helped pulled the side together.
“We have been settled for around 10 or so games now,” he said.
“In amongst it all we had a bunch of injuries, with Jacob (Lampkin) out for five games in a row and we lost them all.
“Nick (Marshall) was out for a month, so it has been a bit of a topsy-turvy year.
“We have had six games in the last three weeks so that has kept us busy and all of the guys have played all those games, so it gives us a bit of momentum going in.”
Back in Round 2 against the Blues, Jacob Lampkin hit a double-double, with 16 points and 15 rebounds, which has become somewhat of a trademark this season.
Marshall topped the list with 24 points and the Pioneers needed all that input at the scoring end of the floor, as the Blues pushed them to the limit.
A similar scenario can be expected this weekend, with the Pioneers up against a tough, experienced side that has been together for a long time.
“They haven’t changed,” Hill said.
“They have the same lineup but have been playing much better.
“They are hard nosed, they are mature basketballers and have added Brad Newley to the group.
“He is a good quality veteran, so we are playing the opposite to us.
“We are playing a group that has been together for a long time and we are young outside of Titus (Robinson).
“But we feel good about our chances, even though we are going over there to play them.”
As for the outcome of the game, Hill put it quite simply.
“We will play our next game at home,” he said.
“Either it will be straight into the preliminary final, or we will be playing for our lives, so it is a pretty important game.”
Hill said he is encouraged by how the side is tracking, with so much youth on the roster, especially after such a tough middle period of the season.
“We had issues with an import, we had a bunch of injuries and lost five games in a row, which has never happened since my first year here.
“Then we won seven games in a row.
“I recruited the guys so I believed in them from the start.
“They have come together pretty well, so I feel good about our chances.
“We are pretty good when we get it all together, so I am not going there with any other thought than we can win.”
