Big tests for unbeaten Flames, Lightning (Week 6 Women's SBL Preview)

THE women's SBL unbeaten teams Rockingham and Lakeside will be strongly tested this Easter Weekend with the Flames battling the stacked Cockburn and grand finalists from last year Kalamunda, and the Lightning doing battle with last year's minor premiers Willetton.

There are three women's SBL matches taking place on Thursday night with the Joondalup Wolves facing the Stirling Senators at Joondalup Basketball Stadium, the Rockingham Flames facing the Cockburn Cougars at Mike Barnett Sports Complex and the Perry Lakes Hawks battling the Schweigen East Perth Eagles at the WA Basketball Centre.

All three women's matches on Thursday night tip-off at 6.30pm.

The Wolves are coming off winning last year's championship and have started the 2014 season winning just two of their first four games while the Senators also sit on a 2-2 record heading into Thursday night's contest.

Perhaps the most anticipated match of the night pits the unbeaten ladder-leading Flames taking on the third-placed 3-1 Cougars.

With Rockingham unbeaten and Cockburn's changes in the off-season giving it a stacked roster, it's sure to be a high-class affair on Thursday night.

The last match of Thursday pits a Hawks team who have lost two matches on the trot host an Eagles line-up who won last weekend and now already has more victories this season than all of last year.

There are then three matches also on Saturday night with the Mandurah Magic facing the Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers at the Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre, and the Willetton Tigers playing the Lakeside Lightning at Willetton Basketball Stadium.

Those two matches both begin at 6pm and then at 6.30pm, the Kalamunda Eastern Suns play the Rockingham Flames at Ray Owen Sports Centre.

The Slammers have played just the three matches so far this season so will be looking to start building some continuity but it won't be an easy task up against the Magic in Mandurah on Saturday.

The Magic have won their last two games, and three of their last four, to now sit in fourth position with a 4-2 record while the 2012 champion Slammers have lost two straight to be 1-2.

Last year's minor premiers Willetton then host the unbeaten Lakeside on Saturday night in what looms as a terrific contest.

The Tigers for the first time will have Melissa Marsh, Lisa Wallbutton and Antonia Edmondson together this season as they bring a two-game winning run into the clash at home on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Lightning remain unbeaten to start the season from five matches with wins over East Perth, South West, East Perth again, Perry Lakes and Kalamunda.

Both teams certainly are aiming to be title contenders this year and how they perform on Saturday night will provide a good indication of where they sit.

Saturday night's other fixture also looms to be a beauty in Kalamunda with last year's grand finalists the Eastern Suns hosting the also undefeated and table-topping Flames.

The Suns have made a slightly slow start to the 2014 campaign with just two wins from six games, but they still have a lot of talent and the belief coming from making last year's grand final.

However, the Flames have started the season on fire winning five straight matches to sit on top of the table following wins over Perth, Willetton, Mandurah, Joondalup and South West.

There is then the one match on Monday afternoon tipping off at 12pm with the Perth Redbacks battling the Joondalup Wolves at Belmont Oasis.

The struggling Perth Redbacks then make their only appearance of the Easter Weekend up against the defending champion Wolves who are coming off a clash on Thursday night at home to Stirling.

WEEK 6 WOMEN'S SBL FIXTURES
THURSDAY
Joondalup Wolves v Stirling Senators, Joondalup Basketball Stadium 6.30pm
Rockingham Flames v Cockburn Cougars, Mike Barnett Sports Complex 6.30pm
Perry Lakes Hawks v Schweigen East Perth Eagles, WA Basketball Centre 6.30pm

SATURDAY
Mandurah Magic v Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers, Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre 6pm
Willetton Tigers v Lakeside Lightning, Willetton Basketball Stadium 6pm
Kalamunda Eastern Suns v Rockingham Flames, Ray Owen Sports Centre 6.30pm

MONDAY
Perth Redbacks v Joondalup Wolves, Belmont Oasis 12pm

Article by Chris Pike




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