By Trevor Jackson
THE Mount Gambier Pioneers men face a huge task this weekend when they head across the border for a double-header road trip.
The Pioneers face the Nunawading Spectres of Saturday night, before backing up on Sunday against the Dandenong Rangers.
The biggest issue they will face is not having Nick Marshall on the floor.
Marshall has another commitment and will miss the weekend, after an impressive season to date.
The Spectres currently sit in ninth place, while the Rangers are just two spots below Mount Gambier in fourth.
In recent games the Pioneers’ game has lifted, with players now comfortable and combining well as the season draws to a close.
Coach Richard Hill said ideally the Pioneers would finish top or in second place to claim the best opportunity in the playoffs.
As it sits, only the Pioneers and the Sandringham Sabres have won 13 games, but as has been the case throughout the year, that makes little difference on any given night.
The Pioneers claimed an 18-point win over the Spectres in Round 6, while they are yet to face the Rangers.
With some impressive inputs from Christian Peevy and Titus Robinson last weekend, Hill is confident his players can stand up without Marshall on the floor, but that remains to be seen.
Tom Daly is also back in action and Hill was pleased with his input last week.
One of the highlights for Hill last week was the defensive pressure his side applied.
“We played terrific defence and the guys continue to get better,” he said.
“We play both teams this weekend on the road without Nick, so we will see how it goes.
“I think it will go better than some people think.
“Nick is a key part of what we do, but you never know what will happen in sport.
“It is a chance to see how we go without him.”
In last week’s victory four Pioneers reached double figures, with Marhsall adding a double-double to his statistics.
The steals were something Hill did not expect, but was pleased to see.
The team made 14 steals, something Hill said is very rare.
Peevy grabbed four steals, Robinson and Austin Shelley three and Kade deWit two, while Dylan Marshall and Tom Daly had one each.
It showed the intense defensive pressure the Pioneers applied and they will need every bit of that this weekend.
Just five games remain in the home-and-away season, with this weekend’s double-header, another double next weekend, but at home, then the final minor-round game, also at Wulanda.
It leaves no room for complacency, as a couple of losses can plummet a side quickly down the ladder.
Time will tell, but this weekend could well be a defining round for the Pioneers as they chase more playoff action.
