Tough double for Slammers against Flames, Hawks (Week 6 Women's SBL Preview)

THE South West Slammers have lost their last two matches after winning their first four of the women's SBL season and now have a tough double in Week 6 taking on the unbeaten defending champion Rockingham Flames and the Perry Lakes Hawks.

The Slammers won the 2012 women's SBL championship before then causing a quarter-final upset from eighth position in 2013 and missing the playoffs altogether in 2014, but they do appear to be a contender again in 2015.

Led by imports Deanica McCormick and Patricia Bright, the Slammers won their first four games of the season but have lost their last two ahead of a tough weekend starting this Friday night at home to the unbeaten Flames and then on the road on Saturday against a Hawks team who has looked good so far this year.

The Week 6 women's SBL action begins with that Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers clash with the Orange Autos Rockingham Flames at Eaton Recreation Centre with the Merriwa Tavern & Bistro Joondalup City Wolves also battling the Perth Redbacks at Joondalup Basketball Stadium and the Lakeside Lightning playing the Perry Lakes Hawks at Lakeside Recreation Centre.

Then on Saturday night, there are three women's matches tipping off at 6pm with the Schweigen East Perth Eagles playing the Mandurah Magic at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre, the Perry Lakes Hawks hosting the South West Slammers at the WA Basketball Centre and the Soprano Designs Cockburn Cougars facing the Joondalup Wolves at Wally Hagan Stadium.

Then at 6.30pm on Saturday night, the Rockingham Flames take on the Kalamunda Eastern Suns at Mike Barnett Sports Complex.

And to close out the round on Sunday, the Mandurah Magic will play the Cockburn Cougars at Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre with a midday tip-off time.

The weekend's action begins on Friday night with the 4-2 Slammers taking on the 5-0 defending champion Flames in a rematch of the 2012 grand final that was won by South West before Rockingham broke through to win the championship last season.

The Slammers began the season beating the Lightning, Eagles, Senators and Eastern Suns but since they have lost to the Magic and Wolves to need to bounce back this weekend.

The Flames, meanwhile, have backed up winning last year's championship by beating the Eagles, Redbacks, Cougars, Hawks and Lightning but they could receive their biggest challenge so far at the hands of the Slammers as well.

Also on Friday night, the 3-1 Wolves take on the 2-3 Redbacks in what could be a tougher match than many might expect for Joondalup.

The Lady Wolfpack have won three straight matches after starting the season with a loss to the Tigers but the Redbacks have already matched last season's two-win showing after five rounds this year and a vastly improved and competitive outfit.

And finally on Friday night, the Lightning host the Hawks with last year's grand finalists Lakeside still searching for a first win in 2015.

However, the Lightning did push the Magic last Friday night and might be getting closer so the 3-2 Hawks will need to be on their game to improve to 4-2.

On Saturday night, the Magic begin their double-header by taking on the winless Eagles at Morley.

East Perth has been vastly more competitive so far this season under new coach Narelle Henry but is still on a 23-game losing run while Mandurah has won its first six games of the season to date to enter the round on top of the standings.

The Hawks then back up their clash on Friday with the Lightning by hosting the Slammers on Saturday night at the WA Basketball Centre with South West also fresh off taking on the Flames on Friday.

The Wolves will be another team backing up playing on Friday with a Saturday night fixture as they travel to Wally Hagan Stadium to battle Deanna Smith and the Cougars who come into their double-header weekend on a 3-4 weekend and having lost their last two matches.

And finally on Saturday night, it will be the Flames doing the backing up from their clash at Eaton on Friday by hosting the 1-3 Eastern Suns in their only match of the round.

The round then concludes on Sunday afternoon with the Magic hosting the Cougars with Mandurah fresh of having taken on East Perth on Saturday while Cockburn would have also played Joondalup well less than 24 hours earlier.

WEEK 6 WOMEN'S SBL FIXTURES
FRIDAY
Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers v Orange Autos Rockingham Flames, Eaton Recreation Centre 6.30pm
Merriwa Tavern & Bistro Joondalup City Wolves v Perth Redbacks, Joondalup Basketball Stadium 6.30pm
Lakeside Lightning v Perry Lakes Hawks, Lakeside Recreation Centre 6.30pm

SATURDAY
Schweigen East Perth Eagles v Mandurah Magic, Morley Sport and Recreation Centre 6pm
Perry Lakes Hawks v Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers, WA Basketball Centre 6pm
Soprano Designs Cockburn Cougars v Joondalup Wolves, Wally Hagan Stadium 6pm
Orange Autos Rockingham Flames v Kalamunda Eastern Suns, Mike Barnett Sports Complex 6.30pm

SUNDAY
Mandurah Magic v Cockburn Cougars, Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre 12pm

Article by Chris Pike
Photo by Ashley Pearce




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