THE Mount Gambier Lakers will have a chance to redeem their 2017-18 title loss next weekend, booking themselves a place in the Country Basketball League South West men’s grand final after a solid semi-final victory over the Bellarine Storm at the Icehouse Saturday night.
Last year saw the Blue Lake city team go through the season undefeated, only to stumble at the final hurdle and miss out on the flag.
However, the Lakers have shown even more depth in 2018-19 and will take to the court at Bluewater Leisure Centre next Saturday as the favourites.
An upset victory for the Bacchus Marsh Lions in the second semi-final saw minor premiers the Horsham Hornets out of the race, with the Lakers now set to face the Lions in the decider.
The previous meeting between the sides was in the final minor round of the season, where the Lakers defeated their opponent by a convincing 36 points.
And after the solid 31-point win against the Storm, the Lakers will carry plenty of momentum into the clash.
All but one player reached double figures for the Lakers on the weekend, with Matt Berkefeld topping the sheets on 25 points, which included six three-pointers.
Next best were the consistent Lachie Hunter and coach Kane de Wit, who each scored 14, while Jason Nysten returned to the court for a 12-point game.
Sam Stafford and Braiden Ousey rounded out the double figures with 11 apiece, while Kurt Rodis fell just short with an eight-point total.
The physical match began evenly, with de Wit opening the ledger for the game with a two-pointer, which was answered by Bellarine’s Rohan Jarvie.
From there three consecutive two-point shots followed for the Lakers, capped off by Berkefeld’s first three-pointer of the night.
Often that would be the point the Lakers take control of the game, but the Storm fought back, with nine consecutive points levelling the score at 11-each.
Berkefeld fired again and sunk a three-pointer to put his team in front, but with a pair of two-pointers from Nathan Gronbeck, followed by another from Michael Hammond, the Storm had struck the lead.
However, the Lakers remained collected and it was not long before they had returned to the front.
By the first change a six-point margin had been established, with more damage to be done in the second term.
Nysten opened the quarter with a two-pointer and a free throw, backed up by Lachie Hunter who scored for another two points.
But the Storm did not subdue and with five minutes to go until half time, the margin remained at six.
With three and a half minutes on the clock a timeout was called by Bellarine, with the Lakers ahead by eight.
Returning to the court, the Lakers added seven points before the siren to the Storm’s two, taking a 13-point lead into the long break.
A three-point bomb from Berkefeld kicked off the second half of play and from there the two teams traded blows.
With just under four minutes before the final change the Lakers called a timeout, with just nine points the difference.
The pep talk had the desired effect and Stafford sunk a three-pointer to continue proceedings, which was backed up by a further six consecutive points to the hosts, with help from a couple of Bellarine fouls.
The Storm’s Jesse Burn attempted to undo the damage with a couple of two-point shots, but a 14-point deficit remained heading into the last change.
When Rodis opened the final stanza with a three-pointer, followed by a two-pointer from de Wit, the margin rested at a comfortable 19 points.
And there was no coming back from there for Bellarine, as fouls continued to be awarded and the Lakers took a firm hold on the game.
The hosts continued to pile on the points and at the final buzzer a 31-point victory was the reward.
For the Storm, Gronbeck top scored with just 13 points, with 11 each from Ashley Cannan and Nathan Freind, plus 10 from Jack Burnett the next best results.
The Lakers will head into this weekend’s grand final with confidence, but with Bacchus Marsh riding the high of its upset over the Hornets, anything could happen on game day.
