South Spotlight | Pioneers pull off double OT stunner

Featured image: @3 Point Photography by Tania Millard

Abby Prohaska got the Mount Gambier Pioneers to overtime after they trailed by 16 early in the fourth quarter and then it was the Grace Champion to hit the match winner after two extra time periods for the 96-94 home win.

It always loomed as a tantalising match up with the Pioneers unbeaten so far this season and playing their first home game of 2026 at Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre on Friday night.

The Miners arrived building some momentum under the guidance of Australian basketball great Brendan Joyce as well having won two of their three matches so far in 2026.

Ballarat then put themselves in a good position to win up 16 early in the fourth quarter but Mount Gambier stormed home and it was a three ball from Prohaska just before the buzzer that tied scores at 81-81.

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Massive late shots from Casey Samuels for Ballarat and Kelsey Rees for Mount Gambier then saw the game into a second overtime, and after Samuels and Champion traded triples to keep scores tied, Champion hit the last score of the game and the Pioneers won the classic by two points.

Prohaska ended up top-scoring for the Pioneers with 18 points with seven rebounds on 3/6 three-point shooting while Rees produced 16 points and 16 boards.

Tilly Boler continued her strong start to the season with 17 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals despite shooting 7/25 with Carla Pitman adding 14 points, six steals, five assists and four rebounds, and Champion 12 points, six boards and two assists.

Ballarat are now 2-2 on the season and it feels cruel they have to back up at home on Saturday night with Samuels finishing with 27 points, 12 rebounds and four assists with 7/12 three-point shooting.

The freshly engaged Abbey Wehrung added 24 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, Elissa Brett 19 points and five boards, and Malia Fisher 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Both teams had made impressive starts to the season coming into the Friday night match up and it was the unbeaten Pioneers wanting to make the most of their first home game to open up an early seven-point lead following an 11-0 run.

That had the Pioneers still leading 24-22 after one with both teams struggling shooting with Mount Gambier going 36 per cent and Ballarat 38.

The Miners were able to catch fire from beyond the arc in the second quarter going 7/11 in that 10 minutes including Abbey Wehrung going a perfect 3/3 and that helped the visitors build a 12-point advantage.

That saw Ballarat on top 48-37 going into the half-time interval with Casey Samuels having 14 points for the leaders and the Pioneers were shooting just 33 per cent from the floor with 2/12 three-point shooting by the break.

That lead for the Miners got out to 16 in the third quarter and they were still leading 69-56 by three quarter-time and then were back up 16 early in the fourth.

That had the gauntlet thrown down to Mount Gambier but they were up to the challenge in front of their home fans to close the fourth quarter on a 20-7 run.

It was Abby Prohaska who hit a big three to start that run and then she was the one to tie scores up just before time ran out to send the game into overtime.

Then in the first extra period, scoring proved difficult for both teams but Carla Pitman hit two calm free throws with 22 seconds left to give Mount Gambier the 87-86 advantage.

Samuels hit back with a huge three up the other end for Ballarat before Kelsey Rees answered with a bucket for the Pioneers to the delight of the home crowd to send the game into a second overtime period.

Grace Champion then looked like being the hero for the Pioneers with a big three ball with 1:45 to go but Samuels responded in kind again for Ballarat to level scores once more.

Then it was Champion who was the match-winner when she scored the game winning bucket with 9.7 seconds to go when the Miners were able to get the stop up the other end after a stunning 50 minutes of basketball.

Just to rub salt into the wounds of the double overtime loss for the Miners, they have to bounce back quickly at home on Saturday night now against the Eltham Wildcats.

Mount Gambier won't have to put their undefeated record on the line again until Anzac Day at home to the Waverley Falcons.

NBL1 SOUTH 2026 SEASON | ROUND 3

MOUNT GAMBIER PIONEERS 96 (Prohaska 18, Boler 17, Rees 16)

BALLARAT MINERS 94 (Samuels 27, Wehrung 24, Brett 19)