TONIGHT is very much the acid test for the Star FM Mount Gambier Pioneers.

The 2007 SEABL season is quickly slipping away and apart from the occasional glimmer of hope - such as the inspiring victory over the AIS and the memorable 500th game victory over Kilsyth - the side has shown a lack of fight when the going has gotten tough.

Tonight is the time for the players to show how much playing for the regional city of Mount Gambier means to them, that getting their season back on track is a priority and is an opportunity to show their home fans that it can play quality, team, basketball for four quarters.

Tonight is also the last chance the squad has to really challenge for a top four playoff spot in the SEABL South Conference - and playing against Ballarat, currently the bottom side in the competition, must surely give the players confidence, although the Miners did get the win when the sides last met earlier this season by 10 points.

While there is undoubtedly much at stake for the players, for those of us not suiting up and hitting the Icehouse hardwood, the game tonight against Ballarat means so much more.

Does this side really want to make something of this season, or is it just going through the motions, waiting for the regular season to come to an end?

The Pioneers are the only national sporting team in our city and the club means so much to so many people in Mount Gambier.

Young spectators attend each home match looking for their favourite players to lead the team to victory and then get their autographs after the final buzzer; businesses support the side through sponsorship behind the scenes and physically on game nights in the corporate boxes and basketball lovers attend the matches to see quality match-ups in Australia's premier winter basketball competition.

Whether they want to believe it or not, the players owe it to the people in the stands to play the game the right way, every night, and show qualities such as hustle, hunger, heart and determination.

Losses are inevitable in sports and very few teams in any code go through a season with a perfect record.

Supporters can take the losses, as long as their team shows the right attributes.

Each time the players put the Pioneers uniform on, they are not just playing for the 12 guys and the coaches that take to the court - they are playing for all of us.

And last Friday night the side showed a glimpse of what it could do in a fantastic third quarter of basketball.

Unfortunately, this was the only quarter, apart from the early stages of the match, that the side was really in the game.

Tonight Ballarat comes to town with a 2-8 record and this surely represents a fantastic opportunity for the Pioneers to get down and dirty and shake the Miners up.

The starting five should be Ryan Blankson, Chris Lewis and coach Jason Sedlock in the front court, with Dallas Jeffree moving to the two guard spot and Jon Shepherd playing point guard.

Shepherd should look to get the big three going early, particularly Blankson, who has proven to be virtually unstoppable in the post this season.

Lewis, too, should be given room to post up and score close to the basket and then, as his confidence grows, he can look to his outside shooting.

Sedlock plays with boundless energy and is possibly the best outside shooter on the roster, so he can certainly open up the offence, and to truly help this team he needs to keep himself on the court for 35-40 minutes each night.

While Sedlock may not be comfortable playing himself in front of some others on the roster, it is something he needs to do, simply because the team is far more cohesive when he is on the court.

Blankson, Lewis and Sedlock crashing the boards would ensure the Miners get very few offensive rebounds and would need to take, and make, some very tough shots.

Jeffree can score at any moment and the time for the ball to be in his hands would be later in the match, while Shepherd should aim for 10 assists.

Off the bench, Chris Mason and Carl Teske can do the "dirty" work.

Mason is a quality defender who will give up his body for the loose ball, while Teske is a pass first forward who is willing to bang with taller opponents and is one of the Pioneers who would take on any challenge.

Both these players do things on the court that do not show up on the stat sheet and like most players, these two play better the longer they are on the court and 25 minutes each would see good returns for the side.

Then you have got Daniel Wilson and Craig Stratford to relieve Shepherd at the point guard spot.

Wilson could be given the freedom to create and has the ability to hit the three if he gets going early, while Stratford is a solid team player who can get the ball to the right people.

That is my opinion on what should happen on the court, but tonight is about much more than the athletic competition taking place.

It is about attitude.

It is about the team being greater than the sum of the parts.

It is about the players embracing Mount Gambier, embracing the Pioneers uniform they wear and embracing the fans that are sometimes taken for granted.

I can only hope a large crowd makes its way to the Icehouse tonight to try and get the side going early.

I want to be one of the people in the stands cheering on the side and celebrating a win at the end of the match, or at least leaving the Icehouse comfortable in the knowledge that I saw the players give their all for 48 minutes.

I think that is something everyone in the stands deserves to witness tonight.