By Trevor Jackson
A STRONG second term was the difference between the Mount Gambier Lakers men and the Warrnambool Seahawks in Saturday night’s Country Basketball League semi-final.
The Lakers claimed the win 87-67 at the Icehouse to book a grand final berth in style.
Five players in double figures also helped the cause, as the Seahawks relied on two main players to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Just a solitary point separated the two sides at the first break, but the Lakers then turned it on and opened the game up.
The second term saw the Lakers bang on 26 points and hold the Seahawks to seven to take control and make it tough for the visitors to remain in the contest.
The 20-point lead was the eventually winning margin, with the Seahawks unable to do any real damage after the long break.
They did close the margin by two points in the third quarter, but the Lakers returned serve in the final stanza to run out emphatic victors.
Tom Daly topped the scoresheets with 21 points, while Simon Berkefeld contributed 16.
Braiden Ousey finished with 14 points, while Toby deWit and Shaun Lock added 12 each.
The Lakers will face the Horsham Hornets in the grand final on Saturday at the Horsham Basketball Stadium.
The Hornets defeated the Portland Coasters to book their grand final berth and were pushed harder than the Lakers.
While they led at every change, the Coasters staged a come-back in the final stanza, but the Hornets had enough of a lead to hold on for an 84-77 victory.
