Mixed fortunes in First Nations Round

THE Castec Rural Supplies Mount Gambier Pioneers Men have consolidated second place on the NBLK1 South standing with a successful road double to Tasmania at the weekend.

The Pioneers toppled the Hobart Chargers on Friday night in a tight contest, before taking care of the North West Tasmania Thunder to the tune of 33 points on Saturday.

The Chargers had plenty to play for, looking to secure their own top four finish, while the Pioneers desperately want to earn a top two finish so not surprisingly the tense opening quarter saw the scores locked at 19 apiece.

The arm wrestle continued in the second with the visitors taking a three point lead into the half time break.

It was in the third quarter that the Pioneers made their move – finding range from three point territory, converting seven from 11 to open up what proved to be a match winning 15 point last change buffer.

That extended to a game high 17 points before the Chargers trimmed it back to 10 but never truly threatened to take the points.

Joe Palmer led the way for Mount Gambier with 26 points, nine rebounds and four assists on 11/17 field goal shooting, while good support came from Alex Mudronja with 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals, Akech Aliir 14 points, six boards and three blocked shots, Austin Shelley 14 points on 4/8 three-point shooting, and Titus Robinson eight points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Victory came much easier for the Pioneers on Saturday night when the Thunder were no match for their second ranked rivals.

The Pioneers started with a hot hand, setting up a 15 point quarter time advantage as they powered to 36 points and that lead extended to 20 at the half.

The visitors continued to dominate, going on a 13-0 run that saw the lead blow out to as many as 37 points before the final whistle 33 point margin.

The Pioneers shot at 51 per cent from the floor, while their ability to create 21 turnovers also ensured they dominated on the scoreboard and were never really troubled by the home side.

It was Aliir who led the way, putting up 26 points, pulling in four rebounds and delivering three assists on 10/14 from the field.

Palmer backed up his Friday night performance with 25 points, five rebounds and two steals, Shelley remains a model of consistency with 21 points, three boards and two steals, Mudronja 13 points, four assists and three rebounds and Robinson 10 points and 14 boards.

Things did not go as smoothly for the OneFortyOne Mount Gambier Pioneers Women who returned home from the Apple Isle winless.

Friday night was a 21 point loss to the Chargers, while Saturday night saw the Launceston Tornadoes get the better of the Mount Gambier team to the tune of 12 points as the Pioneers slumped to a 6-13 record on the back of five consecutive defeats.

The start was disastrous for the visitors as the home side went on a 12-0 run but the Pioneers are nothing if not tenacious and they clawed their way back and took a one point lead into the quarter time break.

An even second quarter saw the Chargers work their way to a four point before the Hobart team put the result beyond doubt with a stunning third quarter.

The Chargers shot the lights out, converting 12 from 18, and defensively they also got the job done, to see the advantage 22 points by the final change and 21 at the final whistle.

Maddy Timms put up 12 points and nine rebounds for the Pioneers with Isa Brancatisano adding 12 points and six boards, and Mackenzie Burke eight points and three rebounds.

When the Pioneers headed to Launceston both teams were looking to snap a losing streak and it was the home side that got the better of the start, leading by six points at quarter time and nine at the half.

Once again, though, it was the visitors inability to stop a run on, with the Tornadoes going on a 13-0 run in the last quarter to ensure victory, 72-60.

Skipper Brancatisano top-scored for Mount Gambier with 15 points, 13 rebounds, five assists four steals with Chloe Hildebrand adding 10 points, five boards and two steals with Zoe Hurley contributing nine points and three rebounds.

RESULTS

MEN

Mount Gambier Pioneers 87 (Palmer 26, Mudronja 14, Aliir 14, Shelley 14) d Hobart Chargers 77 (Richards 21, Cranston-Lown 19, Angerstein 12); Mount Gambier Pioneers 107 (Aliir 26, Palmer 25, Shelley 21) d North West Tasmania 74 (Savage 18, Woodhill 14, Barker 13)

WOMEN

Hobart Chargers 80 (D’Angelo 25, Roberts 21, Thompson 18) d Mount Gambier Pioneers 59 ((Timms 12, Brancatisano 12, Burke 8); Launceston Tornadoes 72 (Froling 26, Mullings 20, McCoy 7) d Mount Gambier Pioneers 60 (Brancatisano 15, Hildebrand 10, Hurley)

PIONEERS FIRST NATIONS UNIFORMS

At the weekend, the Mount Gambier Pioneers proudly took part in the2025 NBL1 First Nations Round, an annual celebration that recognises the rich culture, history, and contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to basketball and the broader community.

In a historic first, the Pioneers wore their inaugural First Nations uniform as they travel across Tasmania.

The 2025 First Nations uniform was designed by local Indigenous artist Belinda Bonney.

Belinda (pictured with Catherine McGregor & Amarco Doyle) is a proud Meintangk, Boandik, Ngarrindjeri, Kooma, and Murriwarri woman who grew up in Moun tGambier on Boandik Country.

Her artistic practice reflects a deep connection to culture, place, and story telling and in her own words, Belinda describes the uniform design titled ‘The Huddle’.

“The design tells the story of two teams in a huddle at the start of a game,” Belinda said. “The players and coaching staff are discussing team strategies; they’re getting hyped up and egging each other on to build team stamina and spirit.”

The Pioneers will also wear the First Nation’s Uniform in front of their home crowd at Wulanda this Friday, when they take on the Bendigo Braves.