Week 14 Women's SBL Preview

IT doesn’t get any better in the Women's SBL than what Friday night's Week 14 fixtures will throw up as first plays third, fourth plays sixth and second takes on fifth in three season-defining match ups and that's just the start of the weekend's action.

Championship contenders could further emerge and the title hopes of others could very well falter in the three enthralling match ups to kick off Week 14 in the Women's SBL.

Those matches see the third placed Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers taking on the league topping Merriwa Tavern & Bistro City of Joondalup Wolves at Willetton Basketball Stadium.

The sixth placed Texture WA Perth Redbacks also take on the fourth placed Perry Lakes Hawks at Belmont Oasis Leisure Centre with the fifth placed Lakeside Lightning playing the second placed defending champion Orange Autos Rockingham Flames at Lakeside Recreation Centre.

The Tigers and Wolves clash has the potential to be a grand final preview but for Willetton they will be just focusing on bouncing back from losses to the Lightning and Hawks the past two weeks in the absence of Louella Tomlinson.

The Lady Wolfpack in that time has surged to the top of the standings currently on a 10-match winning run and sitting on an 11-1 record. A win on Friday and the Wolves will move two games clear of the Tigers, a loss and both teams remain right in the hunt for the minor premiership.

The Redbacks and Hawks are two more teams looking to earn a top four position and remain in touch to finish even higher when they meet on Friday.

Perth currently sits in sixth position at 7-6 while Perry Lakes has improved to 9-6 in fourth place despite losing to the Wolves last Sunday by 15 points. The winner on Friday goes closer to cementing a top four spot while the loser remains in a fight to remain in the playoffs altogether.

The Lightning have been in some impressive form winning their last three games against the Cougars, Tigers and Eagles, but beating the Flames even at Lakeside is a whole different scenario.

The Lightning have improved to an 8-6 record in fifth spot with those three wins in succession but the Flames still sit in second position and with Sami Whitcomb leading the way, they continue to be hard to beat as they look to remain in the hunt for a third straight championship.

If that action on Friday night isn’t enough, on Saturday the Merriwa Tavern & Bistro City of Joondalup Wolves face the Lakeside Lightning, the Schweigen Home Appliances East Perth Eagles take on the Texture WA Perth Redbacks, the Lapa Brazilian BBQ Restaurant Cockburn Cougars battle the Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers and the Mandurah Magic play the Kalamunda Eastern Suns.

Both the Lady Wolfpack and Lightning are coming off games on Friday with Joondalup having faced Willetton and Lakeside having hosted Rockingham.

But Saturday night's clash at Joondalup Basketball Stadium is every bit as important for the Wolves to hold on to top spot and the Lightning to try and close in on a top four spot.

Lightning coach Craig Mansfield has understandably been impressed with his team's recent form including wins last weekend against the Tigers and Eagles, but it's now an even bigger double test this weekend up against the Flames and Wolves.

"We were happy with the weekends results. Obviously Tigers have a couple of key players missing but we played some good patches of basketball. Dev King was fantastic and it was her best game since joining our program. While improving I would like still like us to become more consistent, particularly at the defensive end," Mansfield said.

"We came out with good energy and execution against Eagles in the first half. They were much improved in the second half and didn't let us settle into a rhythm so I give them credit for that. It was pleasing to get some WSBL action into all 12 girls selected and for them to see how they feel and measure up on a WSBL court.

"This weekend is a big challenge with Flames and Wolves. Both teams beat us comfortably first time around but we used those games to learn about ourselves and shape our improvement. We are expecting far more competitive contests this time around. They are the teams you need to be able to play with if you want to firstly make, and secondly be a relevant part of the finals."

The Eagles then make their first appearance of Week 14 up against the Redbacks who will be coming off facing the Hawks on Friday. East Perth currently sits in last place at 1-14 on a nine-game losing streak and Perth can't afford a slip up to remain entrenched in a playoff position.

The Cougars are another team needing to keep winning to remain in a playoff spot. Cockburn has won its last two games against the Eastern Suns and Eagles, but they only sit at 7-7 to be just inside the top eight.

They take on a Tigers team who has been on top of the table for most of the season and who is coming off playing the Lady Wolfpack on Friday night.

The Magic need to start stringing some wins together if they want to break into the top eight with them currently sitting at 5-8 despite having played some impressive basketball of late. They take on the Eastern Suns on Saturday night in a game that could very well determine which teams ends up making the playoffs.

Lastly on Sunday afternoon, the Kalamunda Eastern Suns take on the Print Sync South West Slammers at Ray Owen Recreation Centre.

The Suns will be coming straight off an important clash with the Magic on Friday night and taking on a Slammers team that might have won just once this season, but who are a vastly more dangerous team than that led by Courtney Bayliss and Raya Thompson.

WEEK 14 WOMEN'S SBL FIXTURES
FRIDAY
Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers v Merriwa Tavern & Bistro City of Joondalup Wolves, Willetton Basketball Stadium 6.30pm
Texture WA Perth Redbacks v Perry Lakes Hawks, Belmont Oasis Leisure Centre 6.30pm
Lakeside Lightning v Orange Autos Rockingham Flames, Lakeside Recreation Centre 6.30pm

SATURDAY
Merriwa Tavern & Bistro City of Joondalup Wolves v Lakeside Lightning, Joondalup Basketball Stadium 6pm
Schweigen Home Appliances East Perth Eagles v Texture WA Perth Redbacks, Morley Sport and Recreation Centre 6pm
Lapa Brazilian BBQ Restaurant Cockburn Cougars v Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers, Wally Hagan Stadium 6pm
Mandurah Magic v Kalamunda Eastern Suns, Mike Barnett Sports Complex 6.30pm

SUNDAY
Kalamunda Eastern Suns v Print Sync South West Slammers, Ray Owen Recreation Centre 12pm

Article by Chris Pike
Photo by Sebpix Photography




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