James Murphy
IT was a good weekend for the Mount Gambier Pioneers women, as they took on the annual 4Team Challenge in Millicent.
The pre-season tournament presented a chance to gain some valuable court time ahead of the fast approaching NBL1 South season.
The girls won both of their games, against Norwood and Woodville on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
The results were a bonus, but the main goal of the weekend was also achieved, with players able to hit the courts in a game situation, some for the first time in months.
“We gained what we needed to out of it and it was good to get Isabella (Brancatisano) and Haliegh (Reinoehl) and Sammy (Fatkin) some minutes on the court,” women’s coach Matt Sutton said.
Brancatisano and Reinoehl exhibited their on-court leadership throughout the weekend.
“We expected that from them and we knew what we were going to get – they have come back in really good shape,” Sutton said.
“We are really happy with how quick Sammy was to fit into the game plan and showcase what she can do.
“Then we were just happy to get some minutes into the younger players who have been training for a long time.”
The Pioneers found themselves down in their first game, but after settling were able to get the match back on their terms.
“I think we were down by 15 early to Norwood just with a few nerves and things that weren’t quite clicking,” Sutton said.
“Then it all came together and we were okay after that.”
Sutton said the biggest positive to come out of the tournament was the opportunity to play some games.
Being able to break up all the training with a game scenario provided a chance for players to
The more experienced players did what was expected of them and Sutton was pleased with their efforts.
However, he made note of the younger faces in the lineup, who had a chance to put their training to the test and show off their continued development.
“We got what we expected from out older players, but I thought Cara Nulty as a young player had a really good weekend,” Sutton said.
“Each of the young girls were given the opportunity and gained a lot.”
At this early point in the year Sutton said there were still “a lot of things to work on”.
However, the women’s team will have further pre-season opportunities prior to the NBL1 South season launch on April 6.
They will play Ballarat in Portland on March 16, followed by the men’s game against Geelong, while the following weekend will have the Pioneers travel to Ballarat for the Blitz competition.
