Double trouble on the road for Pioneers

Men & women suffer losses in Geelong but still sitting pretty in NBL1 South season

The Castec Rural Supplies Mount Gambier Pioneers men have suffered their first loss of 2023 in a dramatic one point loss to the Geelong United Supercats, 106- 105.

It was an arm wrestle for much of the contest but despite a parochial and raucous Geelong home crowd at The Arena on Saturday night, the Pioneers looked like they might spoil the party with a strong run in the home stretch.

The Supercats looked to have the game won when DeMarcus Gatlin drained a three with a little over a minute to play, to give the home side a four point lead and make it a two basket game.

But Pioneers reigning MVP Nick Marshall (picturedn above left) had other ideas, responding with the next four points for Mount Gambier to level scores up again before Will Mayfield missed the attempted winner with a corner three for the Pioneers after Chris Seeley grabbed the offensive board on Marshall’s missed free throw.

Geelong had possession after the missed three and out of a timeout, had the chance to run a play for a winning shot. However, that shot was never needed when a remarkable call was made before the ball was thrown in by Gatlin.

The referee judged Seeley went too close guarding Gatlin, who was the Supercats top scorer for the night, on the pass and Gabe Hadley drained the subsequent technical free throw. The Supercats then got the ball in and ran out the time to score the one point win.

Marshall dominated for the visitors with 37 points, six rebounds and two assists while hitting six from nine from beyond the arc, while Austin Shelley (pictured above right) added 27 points and two steals, Mayfield 16 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals and Julian Pesava (pictured above centre) also hit double figues with 11 points.

The OneFortyOne Mount Gambier Pioneers women also went down to the Supercats, making it back to back losses for the Mount Gambier side. A dominant second quarter from the home side set up the 11 point victory, 85-74, in a match where both sides were looking to bounce back from losses last weekend.

Despite the loss, Isabella Brancatisano (pictureed below centre) had a huge performance for Mount Gambier and put up 35 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Sherrie Calleia (pictured below right) had 24 points, six boards and four assists and Haliegh Reinoehl (pictured below left) 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocked shots.