MT GAMBIER, Australia (Interstat) — The Casey women will put their 8-3 record on the line Saturday against a Mount Gambier team seeking to defend its home court at Mt Gambier as the NBL1 South season moves past the midway point.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. local time.

Casey (8-3) enters the matchup riding the momentum of a dominant 96-63 victory over Bendigo on May 17. The visiting side has won six of its last eight games across all competitions and sits near the top of the conference standings. Mount Gambier (7-5) dropped a narrow 97-90 decision at Eltham in its most recent outing and has lost four of its last six.

The game features two of the league’s most productive scorers.

Casey guard Dallas Loughridge has averaged 28.3 points over her last three games, including a 31-point, four-rebound, three-assist performance in the win over Bendigo. The point guard logged at least 33 minutes in each of her last seven contests and exceeded 27 points in six of those outings. She also dished out nine assists in a win over Northern Force on April 25 and eight assists in a victory at Hobart on April 24.

Mount Gambier forward Carla Pitman posted 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in the loss to Eltham on May 17. The versatile forward has recorded double-doubles in two of her last three games, though she has struggled with her scoring consistency, producing five points and 10 rebounds in a loss to Hobart on May 8 and eight points in a loss to Knox on May 2.

Supporting Loughridge for Casey are center Samantha Bowman, who contributed 15 points and 14 rebounds in the Bendigo win, and forward Chelsea D’Angelo, who added 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

For Mount Gambier, guard Abby Prohaska scored 17 points with six rebounds and five assists in the Eltham loss, while forward Lara Edmanson added nine points, nine rebounds and four assists.

Casey has been particularly strong on the road, winning three straight away from home. Mount Gambier has struggled at home, dropping two of its last three at Mt Gambier.

Saturday’s game marks the first of three consecutive home contests for Mount Gambier, which hosts Ringwood on May 29. Casey begins a stretch of three straight home games June 5 against Melbourne.

The winner gains early positioning in the tightly contested South conference race.