Pioneers get back on track on the road

HALIEGH Reinoehl and Isa Brancatisano combined for 53 points and 31 rebounds as the Mount Gambier Pioneers took full advantage of the undermanned Casey Cavaliers for a much needed 79-54 road win.

The Cavaliers had won four of their first seven games of the season but came into the match up at Casey Stadium without New Zealand Tall Ferns pair Sharne Robati and Esra McGoldrick who are playing in the Trans-Tasman Throwdown series.

That opened the door for the Pioneers to try and start building some momentum this season and the visitors did manage to open up a 23-18 lead by quarter-time despite only shooting 2/11 from downtown.

The two teams then both managed just 12 points in the second quarter while shooting an identical 5/16 from the floor with Mount Gambier ending up leading 35-30 going into the half-time break.

The Pioneers were able to take complete control of the contest in the third quarter completing a 10-0 scoring run and building a 22-point lead which was enough to set up the eventual win.

From there Mount Gambier ended up winning by 25 points while holding Casey to 54 points and shooting 29 per cent from the field while shooting 41 themselves.

The Pioneers improve to a 3-6 record with the win with Reinoehl delivering 33 points and 13 rebounds on 11/17 shooting from the floor, 3/4 from downtown and 8/10 at the foul line.

Brancatisano led admirably too with 20 points, 18 rebounds, three assists and three steals with Chloe Hildebrand contributing 11 points, five boards and two assists, and Cat MacGregor 10 points, three rebounds and two assists.

Things were much tougher for the Castec Rural Supplies Pioneers Men, holding off a fast finishing Cavaliers who looked to fight their way from 17 points back to escape with a two point victory – an Akech Aliir offensive rebound and putback saving the day.

The Cavaliess were back home at Casey Stadium looking to maintain pace at the top of the standings as they hosted a Pioneers team looking to snap a two-game losing slide.

The scores were all square at 23-23 by the end of the first quarter before Mount Gambier were able to open up a narrow 51-45 lead by the half-time break.

The Pioneers then kept that momentum going with another 30 points to 21 in the third term and their lead got out to as much as 19 points when they completed a 12-0 scoring run.

It was still a 17-point lead early in the fourth period for the Pioneers, but the Cavaliers then threw everything at a fightback and they got all the way back level.

Securing the two-point victory ensured the Pioneers improved to a 6-3 record to avoid a third straight defeat.

On top of hitting the game winner, Aliir ended up with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Pioneers with Austin Shelley adding 19 points, six boards and two assists.

Titus Robinson also had 19 points and six rebounds, Alex Mudronja 14 points, four assists and three rebounds, and Joe Palmer 12 points and three boards.

RESULTS:

Mount Gambier Pioneers 79 (Reinoehl 33, Brancatisano 20, Hildebrand 11) d Casey Cavaliers 54 (Haines 16, Hurst 12, Wynd 10)

Mount Gambier Pioneers 93 (Shelley 19, Aliir 19, Robinson 19) d Casey Cavaliers 91 (Roberts 23, Marks 17, Hankerson 16, Robertson 16)