By Trevor Jackson
THE Mount Gambier Lakers men rounded out their Country Basketball League minor games in style, with a double-header road trip and two wins.
The Lakers faced the Colac Kookas on Saturday night and had to fight to the end to ensure the 82-75 win.
They were up by six points at the main break, having won both quarters, before the Kookas fought back in the third term to close the margin to just two points.
The Kookas hit the front as the quarter wound down, but consecutive baskets to Tom Daly and Shaun Lock gave the Lakers that two-point buffer.
The Kookas regained the lead early in the fourth term, before Mount Gambier took control and began to build another margin.
Despite that, the Kookas refused to go away and with just a minute to play, only three points separated to two sides.
Foul calls then went the way of Mount Gambier as the desperate Kookas tried in vain to claim the win.
Daly hit the final basket to ice the game in a 23-point effort from the star guard.
Ben Young reached double figures with 13 points, while Toby de Wit, Lock and Braiden Ousey all contributed 11.
The Lakers then headed to Terang on Sunday and handed the Tornadoes a big defeat, with a 95-67 scoreline.
This time the Lakers were in control from the outset, although the Tornadoes managed to remain within five points at the first break.
However, that was as close as they would come, as the Lakers began to flex their muscles and build on the solid foundation.
They increased the margin by eight points by the main break, a further five in the third term, then ran the game out hard to increase the lead a further 10 points and claim a comfortable victory.
Simon Berkefeld was back on court Sunday and topped the scoresheets with 20 points.
Shaun Lock contributed 14 points, Duncan Reid 13 and Young 11, with Daly, de Wit and Ousey all with 10 points.
The Lakers now sit top of the ladder with just a handful of games for the lower sides left to play next weekend.
