Countdown on to play-offs

It was a mixed weekend for the OneFortyOne Mount Gambier Pioneers women as they fight to stay in top four contention.

On Friday night they almost toppled the top ranked Knox Raiders before snapping a three game losing streak with an emphatic victory over the Melbourne Tigers.

The Knox Raiders delivered a stunning 12-2 run to close the game to come from behind and beat the Mount Gambier Pioneers 68-65 to remain in top spot of the NBL1 South in the first game of the home court double header.

The Pioneers started well on its home floor to be leading 21-16 by quarter-time and then pushing that advantage out to 40-30 by the half-time interval.

The lead for Mount Gambier got out to as much as 17 points as well in the third quarter and was still 15 in the fourth, and even seven with four minutes remaining.

However, it was all Knox from that point beginning with an Emily Fisher layup before Alicia Froling and Paige Bradley both scored inside to make it a two-point ball game.

Kiera Rowe then tied scores up with a minute to go and Bradley scored again after a steal from Paige Burrows, and that gave the Raiders the lead, and they kept going to finish the game with the three-point win.

Haliegh Reinoehl finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Sherrie Calleia delivered 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists, Isa Brancatisano 14 points, six boards and six assists, and Zoe Hurley four points and nine rebounds.

The return of Zitina Aokuso on Saturday night certainly played a part in the girls returning to the winners’ list and back inside the NBL1 South top four.

Scores were all square at 26-apiece by quarter-time but the Pioneers began to work on top in the second term with an 11-0 scoring run and the home team went into half-time leading 50-43.

The Pioneers were then able to dominate the second half with 29 points to 10 in the third quarter and 29 to 19 in the fourth with the lead getting out to as much 36 points, which would be the final margin.

Calleia played a starring role in the win for Mount Gambier with 30 points, 10 assists and six rebounds on shooting 12/15 from the floor and 4/7 from three-point territory, while Aokuso marked her return with 26 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and two blocked shots with Brancatisano adding 18 points, four boards, three assists and three steals.

Haliegh Reinoehl also had 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists, and Samantha Fatkin 12 points and seven boards.

Akech Aliir continued his hot form and helped lead the top ranked Castec Rural Supplies Mount Gambier Pioneers men to the 93-85 home victory over the defending champions Knox Raiders in the first of the weekend double header.

Knox were leading by five points after a low-scoring opening period but the home side was able to turn the tide in the second term with 26 points to 19 to go into half-time with the narrow 38-36 advantage.

The Pioneers then made it 12 straight points in the third quarter and ended up putting up 30 points to 22 in the frame to open up a double-digit lead.

That lead got out to 16 points in the final term and from there Mount Gambier held firm for the eight-point victory to make it seven straight wins.

Aliir starred in the win for the Pioneers with 30 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two assists on 5/10 three-point shooting, while Dylan Marshall added 20 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals, Titus Robinson 16 points and six boards, Austin Shelley 12 points and three rebounds, and Christian Peevy eight points and nine boards.

That strong performance was then backed up Saturday night with a shock loss to the Melbourne Tigers, who will not be part of the 2024 play-offs.

The Pioneers came into the match on a seven-game winning streak and sitting two games clear in top spot ahead of hosting a Tigers team having lost five straight.

The Tigers arrived on a mission and put up 34 points to 29 in the first quarter and they would remain narrowly in front the rest of the evening.

Melbourne was still leading by five points at half-time, by six points at three quarter-time and then they held firm down the stretch with the five-point victory.

Of course, having the Tigers in town, with coach Andrew Gaze, who posed for plenty of selfies, was a highlight, for local basketball fans.

The Pioneers remained top with a 16-5 record despite the loss with Aliir continuing his hot run of form by delivering another 35 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two steals on 6/9 three-point shooting.

Shelley also had 14 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals with Peevy adding 13 points and five boards, Robinson nine points and four rebounds, and Kane de Wit eight points, five boards and five assists.

The Pioneers will finish the regular season at Wulanda this Friday night against the Ringwood Hawks.

RESULTS

Knox Raiders 68 (Bradley 18, Froling 17, Burrows 11) d Mount Gambier Pioneers 65 (Reinoehl 19, Calleia 17, Brancatisano 14)

Mount Gambier Pioneers 108 (Calleia 30, Aokuso 26, Brancatisano 18) d Melbourne Tigers 72 (Hooper 16, Horvat 15, Blicavs 14)

Mount Gambier Pioneers 93 (Aliir 30, D Marshall 20, Robinson 16) d Knox Raiders 85 (Rapp 33, Feagin 15, Bowen 13)

Mount Gambier Pioneers 86 (Aliir 35, Shelley 14, Peevy 13) d Melbourne Tigers 91 (Wilson 30, Purchase 27, Gaze 21)