James Murphy
THE Mount Gambier Lakers men have edged themselves within three per cent of ladder leader Horsham Hornets after a successful Round 10 road trip in the Country Basketball League.
Saturday night had a top-of-the-table clash between the Lakers and Hornets, which produced an eight-point win for the visiting team.
It was a rewarding outcome after going down to Horsham by a similar margin at home back in Round 5.
Little could separate the sides in the first half of the game, with scores locked at 12-all at quarter time.
A high-scoring term followed but it remained neck-and-neck with Horsham managing to enter half time one point clear, 39-38.
All signs pointed towards another thrilling half of basketball and the third quarter did not disappoint.
Once again nothing could separate the teams with both shooting 17 points, leaving the Hornets one up at the final change.
In the end the fourth term decided the game, as the Lakers found another gear to break away to victory.
Horsham’s Austin McKenzie opened the ledger for the quarter with a two, but the Lakers responded with a pair of twos to seize the lead.
Intensity levels remained high but the Lakers slowly extended their lead from there, with the largest margin a 13-point buffer with 29 seconds left on the clock.
The Hornets finished well with a three and a two, with the final scoreline 78-70 in Mount Gambier’s favour.
McKenzie top scored for the match, with the Horsham talent bagging 29 points.
As is often the case, it was a wide-spread contribution which helped the Lakers across the line.
Simon Berkefeld top scored with 20 points, while Shaun Lock (13), Toby de Wit (11), Duncan Reid (10) and Ben Young (10) also broke into double figures.
The win over the ladder leaders gave the men plenty of confidence heading into Sunday’s meeting with Portland Coasters.
Last time the teams met it was also a close result, with the Lakers walking away with a four-point win on their home deck.
This time another tight battle ensued, with the guests prevailing by five points.
Portland had the jump on the first quarter and managed to establish a slim three-point advantage by the break.
That buffer was erased in the opening minutes of the second term, where the Lakers managed to edge their nose in front before the Coasters returned fire.
A three-pointer to Hayden Annett with 3:41 on the clock had the hosts out to a nine-point lead, but the Lakers responded well.
A strong finish to the half all but nullified that advantage and at the main break Mount Gambier trailed by a solitary point.
The momentum carried into the third quarter and Mount Gambier again seized the lead early before losing it again to a Portland resurgence.
At the three-minute mark scores were locked on 39 all.
Both teams traded blows from there until consecutive three-point bombs from Jack Wilkinson and Reid put the Lakers up by five with 4:30 left to play.
The Coasters refused to give up and again fought their way back in front, but a strong finish from Mount Gambier ensured the visitors would enter the final break with a three-point lead.
The fourth quarter followed a similar script as the rest of the game, with back and forth play keeping spectators on the edge of their seats.
It was not until the mid point of the term the Lakers had set up a lead they would not give up.
At the final buzzer Mount Gambier had won the quarter by two points to secure a five-point victory.
Berkefeld top scored for the Lakers again, this time with a game-high 27 points which made all the difference.
Reid and Young also shot double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively, while Nathan Hardingham was best for Portland with 21 points.
The weekend capped off the Lakers’ year on a high note, prior to a bye next round and the Christmas/New Year break.
They will next take to the court in Round 12 on January 6.
