IT was a strange scenario for the Mount Gambier Lakers women on the weekend.
Despite two losses in their double-header round, the Lakers found themselves move up the ladder into third position.
That is due to the team finally nearing a catch up in games played, after limited court time in the first half of the season due to byes.
However, the side is making up for it now and will face another double-header this weekend, which coach Scott O’Connor will hope yields better results.
It was always going to be a test for the young Lakers on the weekend, as they played the top two teams on their home courts.
Saturday’s match against ladder leader Warrnambool Mermaids saw the hosts come away with a 15-point victory, before the Lakers backed up against second-placed Geelong United on Sunday for a 27-point loss.
Against the Mermaids it was youngsters Mikaela Horrigan and Sarah Ritter who carried the team on the scoreboard with 16 and 14 points respectively.
The former opened the scoring for the match, but Warrnambool quickly replied and took the lead.
Midway through the term the scores were tied at seven each, then 10-all with three minutes to play, before a late charge by the Mermaids helped them out to a seven-point lead by quarter time.
The hosts started the second with three consecutive two-pointers, before Horrigan could put an end to the run with a three-point bomb.
Ritter backed her up with a two, but then the Mermaids returned fire to see a margin of nine at half time.
Warrnambool found some extra momentum in the third and by the final break held an 18-point lead, with plenty to be done by the Lakers if they were to pull off a late upset.
Foul trouble for the Mermaids helped Mount Gambier’s cause, but despite outscoring the home team by three points for the term, Warrnambool claimed a 15-point win.
In the end it was the team effort from the hosts which decided the game, with five players scoring in double figures, opposed to the Lakers’ two.
On Sunday it was a similar scenario, with Ritter and Horrigan the only double-figure scorers.
Ritter bagged 18 points for her team, while Horrigan finished with 13, but it was far from enough to push Geelong for the win.
Claire Hunter and Casey Horrigan were the next best shooters with six points each.
It became clear early on the Lakers would be required to play catch-up, with a couple of free throws from Horrigan the only time they scored in the first five minutes.
When Ritter double Mount Gambier’s score with a two-pointer just after the five-minute mark, Geelong already had 14 points on the board.
The hosts continued to drill the Lakers and a strong finish to a dominant quarter resulted in an 18-point lead heading into the second term.
Abby Loughhead opened the second with a three and a two, which was answered by two twos from Laker Olivia Wormald and another from Horrigan.
From there the teams traded blows, but despite a more even quarter the Lakers still trailed by 20 points at half time.
The third term saw Geelong further its hold on the game, with Loughhead’s accuracy from beyond the arc dealing more damage.
She finished with five three-pointers for the match and a total of 19, second only to teammate Vanessa Marsh with 21.
Heading into the final quarter the margin had extended to 28 points, with little chance left for the Lakers.
An even term followed and at the final buzzer the Lakers went down by 27.
This week the Lakers face a road trip to Bellarine to face the Storm, before they back up at home against the Colac Kookas.
Those teams make up the bottom two positions on the ladder and Mount Gambier should be able to bounce back from the weekend’s disappointment.
