The new year has had a positive effect on the Chemist King Mount Gambier Lakers following a near-perfect weekend at the Ice House.

The 2021/22 Country Basketball League resumed last weekend following the Christmas break and the Lakers were ready to play.

Having endured a forgetful start to the season on and off the court, the men fronted by Pioneers captain Tom Daly bounced back in grand style securing their second victory after a tight battle with Warrnambool Seahawks.

As one of the form sides of the competition the Lakers women needed to capitalise on a huge double header to keep their campaign for the ladder lead pushing in the right direction.

Entering the taxing weekend off a break could have been dangerous territory for Mount Gambier, but the double dose of basketball could have hardly gone any better.

The young team showed lots of maturity to not only return home from Horsham with a win, but score the bragging rights over arch-rival Warrnambool at Bern Bruning Stadium on Sunday.

The Lakers men have toiled through a tough season marred by border restrictions and player rotations.

Before the fifth round of the season and first of 2022, Mount Gambier sat lonely at the bottom of the ladder with only one win to show for its troubles.

But the side turned a page in the new year and rebounded into the competition as a potent force with the help of some familiar faces.

Boosted by the arrival of Castec Rural Mount Gambier Pioneers stars Tom Daly and Kyle Tipene, the Lakers gave title contender Warrnambool Seahawks an unexpected fright.

With the Seahawks looking for a win to vault towards the top of the ladder, the visitors would have arrived at the Ice House high on confidence until they saw who they were up against.

Daly formed a key part of the offense attacking the ring with strong assistance from Kyle Tipene and Sam Stafford, while the likes of Robert Hein, Nelson Forbes and Braiden Ousey stood tall against a well-rounded Seahawks outfit.

Despite being a relatively new on court combination the Lakers stormed to a six-point lead after a high-scoring opening term.

But their momentum started to slow as Warrnambool found its groove led by the prolific James Mitchell.

With only four points in it as the teams swapped ends, the intensity stepped up a gear and a basketball-deprived Daly was hellbent on leading his troops to victory.

The Seahawks may had been able to register their highest-scoring quarter of the game so far, but Mount Gambier took things to a whole new level shooting 31 points in a vital passage of play.

The scoring assault gave the hosts enough breathing space to remain calm during an evenly matched final term as they held on by 10 points.

Basketball Mount Gambier development manager Daly said the side’s ability to nail the basics was critical in the 99-89 win which could give the team life after a tough start to the summer.

“It was probably the first time I have ever played with a few guys on the team so it was a matter of keeping things simple and getting to know each other,” he said.

“It has been extremely challenging just to get a team on the floor because we are the one team on the South Australian side of the border.

“Our guys have had to weigh up the risks of work and family life when they play.

“Given we came in off a break we just warmed into it and found comfort playing with each other as the game went on to grind the Seahawks down.

“If we did any too complicated, I don’t think it would have worked because we are unfamiliar playing together and just tried to do all the one percenters correctly.

“We are still in the hunt and have mostly home games to finish off, so if we can get a consistent team together and go on a roll we can still make the playoffs.”

Daly played a huge role in the win scoring a game-high of 29 points which could be the most by a Lakers’ debutante.

“It was my first game for the Lakers in the CBL,” he said.

“We had a lucky five-year run winning three championships for the Pioneers but I have missed a lot of basketball over the last four years.

“I really missed just playing and competing, so it was fantastic just to get out there and the quality of the game was really good.

“It was good to get a run and I want to get in the best shape I have ever been in to play some high-level basketball again.”

Unfortunately Mount Gambier’s playing squad did not enjoy the same injection of experience ahead of the women’s doubleheader, but the girls pushed on and wowed the CBL scene.

On Saturday night the Lakers overcame a tricky away assignment against Horsham with ease.

Despite the Hornets being carried by Emalie Iredell, the efforts of Georgia Winter and Mikaela Horrigan gave Mount Gambier more than enough ammunition to get the job done.

However, the 85-63 win was just a warm up for what was to come less than 24 hours later when the Mermaids arrived in town.

Warrnambool entered the game undefeated on top of the ladder and with the bragging rights after beating the Lakers in round 4.

But keen on revenge Mount Gambier stepped up its defensive game and created a war of attrition.

Only two points split the rivals at half time, but the young Lakers side had the stamina to make the key moves in the second half.

Thanks to the gritty efforts of Winter, Keryl Ousey and Tara Bryant to score double figures, Mount Gambier overcame the odds to register a hard-fought 55-49 triumph.

Daly said the Lakers’ defensive nous was the secret behind the spirited victory.

“What got them over the line was their defence,” he said.

“The team was different from when they played in Warrnambool and haven’t clicked offensively, but they were able to shut down the Mermaids best players and squeeze them at the end.

“The team keeps improving and has its best basketball ahead of them and their goal is to win the championship.”

The only bad news to materialise from the weekend was the notification of a positive case within the Warrnambool women’s team upon arriving home.

As a precaution Basketball Mount Gambier has closed the Ice House until further notice with anyone who attended Sunday’s action to get tested if symptoms arise.

“We obviously needed to close the stadium and it has had a pretty thorough clean,” Daly said.

“The players and people who were close to the Warrnambool player are doing all of the right things and we have spoken to SA Health to look after the safety of everyone.

“We are learning to live with it and hoping it has not spread and go ahead next weekend against Portland.”