Trevor Jackson
ROUND 6 of the Country Basketball League season provided plenty of excitement for fans at the Icehouse on Saturday night.
The Mount Gambier Lakers women were able to rally down the stretch and sneak across the line by just four points in a nail-biting contest against the Warrnambool Mermaids.
The visitors seemed to have the wood on the home side in the opening half, winning each of the first two terms by four points for an eight-point half-time advantage.
Baskets were hard to come by for both sides, with Ava Bishop and Molly McLaren proving a handful for the Lakers defence.
However, as the game unfolded Mount Gambier began to find some range, with plenty of opportunities around the basket in the second half.
A 17-9 third quarter saw the scores tied up at the last break, with the momentum favouring the Lakers.
The final stanza saw neither side able to make a break, with not much more than a shot in the contest until the final buzzer, where the Lakers managed to open up a four-point margin to seal the game.
While plenty of shots were put up, only Olivia Wormald managed to reach double figures for the victors, with 16 points to her name.
Mikaela and Casey Horrigan were the next best shooters, with seven and six respectively, in what was a hard-fought contest from the Mount Gambier team.
After three games, the Lakers women sit undefeated in second place on the ladder, behind Millicent Magic on percentage alone.
Next week Mount Gambier hosts fourth-placed Surfcoast Chargers on Sunday.
