By Trevor Jackson
THE Mount Gambier Pioneers men bowed out of the NBL1 South playoffs on Saturday night, with a 91-82 loss to the Eltham Wildcats at Wulanda.
The result came after a solid four-quarter effort by the Wildcats, who won all but one term.
Even 35 points and 11 rebounds from Nick Marshall was not enough to help the Pioneers over the line.
It all started with the visitors winning the first quarter 25-19 to put the Pioneers on notice.
The home side lifted in the second quarter, but still fell one point short as the Wildcats extended their lead to seven points.
The third quarter started with a three-point basket from Marshall, followed by a pair of free throws to Akech Aliir and the margin was suddenly back to two points.
The Wildcats responded with a triple of their own, followed by a dunk and the Pioneers were on the back foot again.
The margin continued to fluctuate, with the Pioneers always in touch.
However, they were unable to string baskets together to regain the lead.
With less than a minute on the game clock, Marshall made one free throw and the Pioneers went to the final break just five points in arrears.
Eltham claimed the first basket of the final stanza to stretch the margin to seven points, before Marshall went to work with a couple of two-point baskets and a free throw.
However, back-to-back triples from the Wildcats saw the lead out to 10 points and the job for the Pioneers just a bit harder.
The Wildcats opened the margin to 15 points mid-way through the term and the Pioneers’ hopes of another championship victory was fading fast.
The Pioneers rallied again and with two minutes of play remaining, reduced the margin to just six points.
Unfortunately it was not enough, as the Wildcats again built on their lead.
The crowd stood as one as Titus Robinson threw down a dunk with a minute remaining, but with an eight-point deficit, the Pioneers were up against it.
In the end the Pioneers went down by nine points and their season is done.
Marshall’s numbers also included three assists, while Aliir finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.
Robinson also reached double figures with 11 points.
For coach Richard Hill it was a disappointing end to what was a stellar season.
“The last few years we have battled trying to get over the final hurdle,” he said.
“You try to quantify it a bit, but it is sport and you don’t always win.
“Along the way we have had our fair share of wins, but the opposition we have played the last two of weeks have been very good.
“That is just the competition – the level of competition is very high.
“We had a tremendous regular season, but it didn’t really count for much.”
Hill said he was proud of the team’s achievement this season, even in the face of adversity.
“The guys kept fighting – we were nine down at the end of the first quarter and nine down at the end of the game.
“Numerous times we were able to get back to three and four, then they would make a big three or we would make a mistake.
“We had our chances but we weren’t quite there.
“I am proud of the guys and we certainly weren’t embarrassed, although going out in straight sets doesn’t look good.”
Hill said much of the cause of the loss was simply the strength of the opposition.
“They made some big shots – they were 50 percent from the three-point line – they shot the lights out.
“They made five or six threes in the last quarter.
“We were coming from behind and still knocking on the door.
“We would get it back to six and they came down and got another three.
“We got it back to four points, then in the blink of an eye it was out to 15.
“Our defence was good, but they were good shots under pressure.
“That is kudos to them.
“It takes a good player with a good mindset to hit shots under pressure.”
With a relatively fresh roster for the 2024 season, Hill had a big job to ensure the Pioneers were competitive, let alone win so many games and finish top.
Hill said he did not expect some of the results that came.
“I was hopeful when we put the team together we would be able to contend,” he said.
“I thought making the playoffs would be a good result, but did I in my wildest dreams think we would finish top? – no.
“Did I think we would go 11-0 on the road? – no.
“Did I think we would lose six regular games at home? – I didn’t think that would happen either.”
At the end of the day it was certainly an impressive season for the Pioneers, with the majority of teams in the competition much stronger than in previous years.
There are certainly many positives to take from the season and lessons to be learned.
“When you reach playoffs the defence and the quality of opposition steps up,” Hill said.
“Our guys are young and improving, not seasoned players.
“We had good improvement from the guys and I have the utmost respect for them.
“They had a terrific season and hopefully they will be better players for it.
“They are hard-working, committed, good dudes.
“When you put yourself in these positions to have a crack at it and you lose, you are disappointed, but life does go on.
“Hopefully the players will learn from it.”
