Castec Rural Pioneers Face Tough Victorian Road Double

The road challenge continues for the Castec Rural Pioneers this weekend as they travel to Victoria for another important NBL1 South double-header against Bendigo Braves and Eltham Wildcats.

Currently sitting at 4-5 on the season, the Pioneers will be looking to build momentum against two strong opponents as the race for finals positioning begins to tighten across the competition.

Bendigo enters the weekend with a 4-3 record and has been led offensively by Biwali Bayles, averaging 24.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, while Jarvis Doles has been dominant inside with 18.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest. The Braves have proven to be a strong rebounding side and will test the Pioneers physically around the paint.

For the Castec Rural Pioneers, the offensive load continues to be led by Alex Mudronja and the Pioneers backcourt as Mount Gambier looks to improve consistency on both ends of the floor following a competitive opening stretch to the season.

The challenge only gets tougher on Sunday with Eltham Wildcats currently holding a strong 7-3 record and sitting among the top teams in the conference. Eltham has been one of the most balanced offensive teams in the NBL1 South, averaging 86.9 points per game while sharing the ball effectively with over 20 assists per contest.

The Wildcats feature significant experience across the roster, including former NBL talent Mitch McCarron, alongside leading scorer TJ Weeks who is averaging 18.1 points per game. Zak Cunningham has also been a major presence inside, averaging 15 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting over 61 percent from the field.

The weekend presents a major opportunity for the Castec Rural Pioneers to respond on the road and continue building chemistry as the 2026 NBL1 South season progresses.

Fixture

📍 Bendigo Braves
Saturday 16 May — Red Energy Arena, Bendigo
🕠 7:30PM AEST

📍 Eltham Wildcats
Sunday 17 May — Montmorency Secondary College
🕝 2:30PM AEST