Trevor Jackson
IT was a triumphant return to the Blue Lake City for the Mount Gambier Lakers men after they claimed the Country Basketball League South West Men’s championship on Saturday night.
In the end it was a comfortable 14-point win over the Ararat Redbacks at the Warrnambool stadium, but the Lakers had to fight every second of the way.
The anticipated return to the floor of Kyle Tipene panned out perfectly, as the NBL1-experienced guard topped the team score sheet with 22 points.
He also added the experience to the side required in a grand final, alongside Pioneers guard and Lakers coach Kane deWit (19 points).
Simon Berkefeld (15) also proved a handful for the Redbacks to counter, with youngster Shaun Lock (17) again in fine form after his recent semi-final performance.
As the game tipped off the Redbacks hit the floor running, but in a quarter where neither side could make a decisive break, Ararat held a slim three-point advantage at the first break.
The Lakers turned the tables in the second term and by the main break the scores were tied up, with an enthralling battle shaping up.
It certainly did not disappoint after half time, with both sides again trading baskets, with the Lakers creating a slender two-point advantage at the final break.
As the final stanza unfolded the Lakers created a break after a strong run, with a 31-19 point quarter and the win.
It was a joyous deWit who spoke to The Border Watch, with plenty of praise for his players, who lifted down the stretch when the game was on the line.
“It was a good game and good to get a win in the end,” he said.
“It was a real grit and grind game.”
After a tough three-and-a-half quarters, deWit recalled the moment the Lakers took the advantage in final stanza.
“It was real close up until a moment in the fourth quarter where Kyle hit back-to-back threes and I hit one as well,” he said.
“With about five or six minutes left we went on a 14-3 run I think and got that buffer.
“It got us about an eight or nine point lead and we controlled it from there.
“We were able to keep that 10 or 12 point buffer and keep them at arms length, which was good.”
One player deWit was concerned about heading into the contest was Zac Dunmore.
Dunmore had claimed the season MVP and had been quite prolific under the basket for the Redbacks.
However, Shaun Lock and Toby deWit kept him quiet, with Lock applying plenty of pressure down the stretch to force mistakes and turnovers, to earn himself the grand final MVP honours.
“Dunmore has had a hell of a season, but Toby and Shaun did a number on him,” Kane deWit said.
“He ended up taking a lot of bad shots and missed a lot.
“Shaun especially played very well and was the MVP.
“His game offensively and defensively stood above.
“He did a great job on both ends of the court, especially guarding their best player down the stretch.”
DeWit also noted the performance of Tipene, who he said had a real impact on the contest, along with Berkefeld and Braiden Ousey.
“It was back and forth the entire game and I don’t know how many lead changes there were,” he said.
“I think all of us played the best game we could.”
