South Spotlight | Ole imposes himself in big Force win

Featured image: Andrew Scherer / DLNQNT PHOTOGRAPHY

Ole Angerstein produced his most dominant performance of the NBL1 South season and the Northern Force took charge in the last quarter to win consecutive games for the first time beating the Mount Gambier Pioneers 104-91.

The NBL1 South season resumed on Friday night at Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre with the Pioneers trying to avoid a three-game losing streak and adding Deng Deng and Cameron Brown to their line-up having bid farewell to Collin Moore during the King's Birthday break.

It was then a tight battle with the Force trying to win back-to-back games for the first time with the Force leading by two points at quarter-time before Mount Gambier were up by two at the half, and then the visitors back in front by just one at three quarter-time.

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It was then all the Force in the fourth quarter with 32 points to 20 on the way to the eventual 13-point victory to improve to a 4-11 with back-to-back wins while the Pioneers are now 5-9 having lost four in-a-row.

The Force ended up shooting 60 per cent from the field to the 44 from the Pioneers to score the win despite taking eight fewer shots and having 16 turnovers for the night.

Ole Angerstein was at his imposing best in the win for the Force with 24 points, 11 rebounds and two steals with 10/11 shooting from the field.

Aaron Ridley III top scored for the winners with 27 points, five rebounds and three assists with 5/6 three-point shooting while Vincent DeAngelo also having 20 points, nine assists, five rebounds and three steals.

Kye Savage also had 18 points, three assists and two rebounds, and Logan Gibson 15 points and 13 boards.

Deng Deng had 13 points and three rebounds in his first appearance for Mount Gambier while the other new face Cameron Brown had three points and a steal.

Alex Mudronja top scored with another 27 points, five assists and three rebounds with Lucas Gordon adding 18 points, 12 boards, four blocks and three steals, Ngor Manyang 13 points and two rebounds, and Titus Robinson 10 points, five boards and four assists.

The new-look Mount Gambier were looking to start building some momentum to make a run in the back end of the season but the Force arrived fresh off beating the Hobart Chargers, and both teams combined for 60 points in the opening quarter.

The Force were leading 31-29 by quarter-time with Aaron Ridley III having 10 points and Ole Angerstein eight while shooting 58 per cent from the floor while the Pioneers were going at 63 per cent with Alex Mudronja scoring 11 points.

The Pioneers then had 27 points to 23 in the second term to go into half-time with the narrow 56-54 lead with Mudronja up to 17 points with Deng Deng scoring 11 in his Mount Gambier debut.

The Force were still shooting at 60 per cent from the field while taking 21 free-throw attempts to 15 but they did have eight turnovers in the opening half to three.

It remained a tight battle by three quarter-time with the Force clinging to the 72-71 lead before they then took over in the final term with 32 points to 20 on the back of shooting 14/18 from the field along with 3/5 from downtown for the 13-point road win.

Mount Gambier remain at home to play host to Geelong United on Sunday while the Force also back up on Sunday remaining on the road to play the Ballarat Miners.

NBL1 SOUTH 2026 SEASON | ROUND 10

MOUNT GAMBIER PIONEERS 91 (Mudronja 27, Gordon 18, Manyang 13, Deng 13)

NORTHERN FORCE 104 (Ridley III 27, Angerstein 24, DeAngelo 20)