South Spotlight | Mudronja completes Pioneers comeback

Featured image: Andrew Scherer / DLNQNT PHOTOGRAPHY

The Mount Gambier Pioneers were playing catch up all night but Alex Mudronja hit the go-ahead three pointer as they came back from 10 points down and withstood 68 points from Jacob Richards and Luke Rosendale to beat the Hobart Chargers 101-100.

The Chargers arrived at Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre looking to continue their strong start to the season and they led the Pioneers all evening with the home team trying to build some momentum into their season.

Hobart were 10 points up in the third quarter and they were still eight up during the fourth, and they were on top by six with three minutes to go.

Eventually, four Rosendale free throws had the Chargers up two before with just over 30 seconds to go, Mudronja stepped up for the game's last score with a go-ahead three-pointer.

Eventually that was enough to win by a point for the Pioneers as they made it a Friday night at home to savour for them to improve to 4-5 with Hobart now 5-3.

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It was a high-quality affair that got the finish it deserved with Mount Gambier shooting 55 per cent from the field while Hobart went at 49 per cent with both teams shooting an identical 8/20 from downtown while only combining for 12 turnovers all evening.

Mudronja had a huge night all-round with 29 points with five rebounds and three assists on 12/19 shooting for Mount Gambier including going 3/4 from beyond the arc.

Collin Moore added 15 points, five rebounds and two assists, Scott Telfer 14 points, four boards and four assists, Titus Robinson 13 points and two rebounds, Lucas Gordon 10 points, 11 boards, three assists and two blocks, and Elijah Saifaleupolu nine points.

Jacob Richards was outstanding once more for Hobart finishing with 35 points, nine rebounds and three assists with 13/19 shooting from the floor and 8/9 at the foul line.

Luke Rosendale also had 33 points, five assists and three rebounds with 14/17 free-throw shooting while Joe Chilcott contributed 14 points with 2/3 shooting from downtown, Xavier Clarke eight points and four rebounds, and Nick Paul six points and 10 boards.

The teams combined for 60 points in the first quarter with Hobart leading 31-29 by quarter-time on the back of some spectacular three-point shooting.

The Chargers then remained leading the whole second half and by as much as seven before going into the half-time interval with the 54-48 advantage with Jacob Richards already having 22 points to his name.

Alex Mudronja had 16 up the other end for Mount Gambier with Hobart on top largely through seven offensive rebounds, zero turnovers and then getting to the foul line 17 times to just three in the first half from the Pioneers.

Hobart were then able to open up the game's only double-digit lead in the third term and were still up 82-73 by three quarter-time and by that stage Richards and Luke Rosendale had combined for 53 of their 82 points.

With under four minutes to play Richards scored again to keep the Chargers on top by six and he hit another pair of free throws 30 seconds later to keep his team up six.

Mount Gambier managed to score the next eight points including after drawing an offensive foul on Joe Chilcott and then Lucas Gordon scored after three offensive rebounds.

Scott Telfer then hit four straight and that put Mount Gambier up by two and with all the momentum but Hobart again responded with four points at the foul line to Rosendale to be up two with just over 30 seconds to go.

Mudronja stepped up with the hometown boy hitting the go-ahead three-pointer for the Pioneers and then after Richards missed a tough shot up the other end, Mudronja went to the line he missed the first.

He then intentionally missed the second and time ran out with the Pioneers scoring the memorable one-point Friday night win.

Mount Gambier now don't play again until next weekend's road double against the Bendigo Braves and Eltham Wildcats while the Chargers remain on the road to take on Keilor Thunder on Sunday.

NBL1 SOUTH 2026 SEASON | ROUND 6

MOUNT GAMBIER PIONEERS 101 (Mudronja 29, Moore 15, Telfer 14)

HOBART CHARGERS 100 (Richards 35, Rosendale 33, Chilcott 14)