James Murphy
THE Mount Gambier Pioneers women have walked away from an NBL1 South double header with a pair of wins to open the 2024 season.
A road trip to face Sandringham Sabres and Waverley Falcons produced two well-spread performances which showcased the new and existing talent in the roster.
On Saturday night the Sabres put up a good fight, leading for the first two quarters before the Pioneers could settle.
However, the Pioneers turned up the heat in the third quarter to win it by five points and lead by one at the final break.
A solid fourth quarter followed from the guests and they outscored the Sabres 25-9 to claim a 17-point victory to kickstart their season.
Scoring was spread evenly and the entire starting five shot double figures.
Sherrie Calleia top scored with 19 points, while Zitina Aukuso and Isabella Brancatisano had 17 each.
Aukuso dominated the boards with 12 rebounds, as well as five assists.
“That is part of her role within the group, to have a real dominant presence on the board and I was glad she could do that,” coach Matt Sutton said.
Sammy Fatkin and Haliegh Reinoehl both scored 14 points each, rounding out a strong team performance.
“We had plenty of players who were able to score throughout the game and different players who had some defensive plays too,” Sutton said.
“We were happy with the spread and the even competition.”
Sutton was pleased with the result, but said it highlighted some areas to work on moving forward.
He said there was a noticeable improvement in their second game, played against the Falcons on Sunday afternoon.
This time the Pioneers led at every change and despite a close first half, broke away in the third after an impressive quarter of basketball.
They won the first term by two points and extended the lead by one in the second, but won the third 34-21 to set up an eventual 29-point triumph.
“I probably felt better about our performance there than in our first one,” Sutton said.
“We had a better flow to how we like to play and the girls responded to a bit of a challenge at half time and came out with a really solid defensive performance in the second half.”
Credit goes to Brancatisano, who according to Sutton played ”as good a quarter (he) has seen in a Pioneers uniform” during that third period.
She shot 16 points for the term, along with a couple of steals, rebounds and assists.
The fourth quarter was a one-sided affair and the Pioneers led for its entirety, shooting 18 while restricting their hosts to just five points.
Brancatisano top scored with 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Reinoehl (22 points), Calleia (19) and Aokuso (18) were also standouts.
Fatkin had a strong rebounding game with 11 for the match, while youngster Tenielle Human did well to drag in three rebounds in her limited court time.
Looking ahead to Round 2 and the Pioneers host a double-header at Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre, which will give home fans their first proper glimpse of the 2024 lineup in action.
