NBL1 South Round 7 Saturday Men’s Recap

Catch up on what happened in the only men's game on Saturday night in the NBL1 South. 

NW Tasmania Thunder 94 def by Mt Gambier Pioneers 104

The Mt Gambier Pioneers have made a massive statement, knocking off the ladder-leading NW Tasmania Thunder on the road in its second game in as many nights.
The Pioneers started the game slowly, struggling to find its range while the Thunder shot the lights out.
NW Tasmania hit 10 of its 16 attempts in the opening term, including five of its seven deep-range attempts, however Mt Gambier kept itself within striking distance thanks to some strong ball movement and a consistent focus on attacking the rim.
Trailing by five points after the first term, the Pioneers were able to cut the Thunder lead down to two points at the main break, courtesy of a buzzer-beating shot from Erik Burdon, who finished with 21 points.
Mt Gambier rode that momentum into the second half, quickly tying the game, before taking the lead, while NW Tasmania began to unravel.
The Pioneers aggressive interior play led to 32 foul shots, 25 of which found the bottom of the net.
The flip side of this for NW Tasmania came in the form of foul trouble.
No Thunder player played more than 27 minutes, while key players Taran Armstrong and Paul Campbell played only 18 and 21 minutes respectively.
With the home side playing out of rhythm, Mt Gambier shut the door on the contest in the final term, going on a 13-1 run to take control of the contest and ultimately run away with the win.
Guard Thomas Daly starred for the Pioneers, tallying 27 points and four assists in the win.

Picture: Ian Knight Photography