Week 19 Women's SBL Preview

THE second last round of the Women's SBL season for 2016 features some fascinating and defining contests including crucial double-headers for the Mandurah Magic, Perth Redbacks, Willetton Tigers and Lakeside Lightning.

The top four of the Women's competition might appear set with the Joondalup Wolves, Rockingham Flames, Willetton Tigers and Perry Lakes Hawks all looking solid, but there remains a hot battle for the remaining four playoff positions.

The Lightning have now won their last three matches to be in fifth position at 11-9 as they prepare to take on the Tigers and Redbacks this Friday and Saturday night.

The Magic slipped to sixth position following last week's loss to the Eastern Suns and now will be without the suspended Adijat Adams this weekend against the Cockburn Cougars and South West Slammers.

The Redbacks got back to winning last Saturday beating the Slammers to improve to 9-10 in seventh spot ahead of playing the Wolves this Friday and the Lightning on Saturday.

The Eastern Suns and Cougars remain locked in a battle over eighth spot as well with the Senators still an outside hope if they win their last two matches starting this Saturday against the East Perth Eagles.

Week 19 of the Women's SBL begins on Friday night with the Mandurah Magic facing the Lapa Brazilian BBQ Restaurant Cockburn Cougars, the Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers hosting the Lakeside Lightning and the Texture WA Perth Redbacks playing the Merriwa Tavern & Bistro Joondalup City Wolves.

Then on Saturday night, the Perry Lakes Hawks tackle the Orange Autos Rockingham Flames, the Bethanie Stirling Senators face the Schweigen Home Appliances East Perth Eagles and the Texture WA Perth Redbacks play the Lakeside Lightning.

The P&J Financial Solutions Kalamunda Eastern Suns also take on the Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers and the Mandurah Magic play the Print Sync South West Slammers.

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Week 18 Friday night SBL wrap 

The Lady Wolfpack remain on top of the standings just ahead of the Flames with two games of their season remaining starting this Friday against a desperate Redbacks team who needs to win to remain solid inside the top eight.

However, the Wolves need to win stay ahead of Rockingham in top spot and coach Craig Friday is looking forward to a good challenge for his team heading towards the playoffs.

"It's nice to have solid games going into the playoffs. We know they are fighting for their lives so they are going to come out and give us everything, which is a great opportunity to see us test our metal against that," Friday said.

"We got them earlier in the season and they've added Gabby (O'Sullivan) since then, but hopefully our ability to defend as a team will take away some of their opportunities.

"We'll try to run the floor and get some open looks, and see what we can do. We have no doubt about the metal and quality they present as an opponent."

The Flames are in scintillating form having won six straight to be putting pressure on the Wolves for top spot and with Ifunanya Ibekwe, Darcee Garbin and Sami Whitcomb up and running.

While Garbin won't be there this Saturday night against the Hawks, coach Ryan Petrik is just hoping to see the Flames take another opportunity to get accustomed to all playing with one another with time tight to get their chemistry right in the hunt for a championship three-peat.

"We lose Darcee again this weekend because she has to go away and the reality was that the Willetton game was the one we focused hard on, but obviously we are going to try and beat Perry Lakes and then East Perth to finish the season," Petrik said.

"Perry Lakes look like finishing fourth or fifth therefore will be on the wrong side of the draw for us, but we don’t believe in statement games. We are trying to get our own stuff sorted out. A lot of coaches have talked about getting close to Rocko or losing to Rocko by 20, but all we are chasing is wins.

"We're not trying to put anyone away by 50 or 60 or to show our best hand. We have been doing stuff for 19 weeks and we haven’t used it yet, we want to save it for finals and we are more interested in trying to fix our own stuff. We have no interest in trying to smash Perry Lakes and show the league anything, we don't care.

"Obviously we want to win but it's more about getting our X's and O's right. We couldn’t care less if we win by a point of 1000, we are more trying to work out what we are doing and what works best.

"When we brought Ify out, we thought she was a four who could pinch-hit as a three, but we now know she is a wing who can pinch-hit as a big so we are still working the wrinkles out because we have such a short time frame together."

WEEK 19 WOMEN'S SBL FIXTURES
FRIDAY
Mandurah Magic v Lapa Brazilian BBQ Restaurant Cockburn Cougars, Mike Barnett Sports Complex 6.30pm
Texture WA Perth Redbacks v Merriwa Tavern & Bistro Joondalup City Wolves, Belmont Oasis Leisure Centre 6.30pm
Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers v Lakeside Lightning, Willetton Basketball Stadium 6.30pm

SATURDAY
Perry Lakes Hawks v Orange Autos Rockingham Flames, Bendat Basketball Centre 6pm
Bethanie Stirling Senators v Schweigen Home Appliances East Perth Eagles, Warwick Stadium 6pm
Texture WA Perth Redbacks v Lakeside Lightning, Belmont Oasis Leisure Centre 6pm
P&J Financial Solutions Kalamunda Eastern Suns v Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers, Ray Owen Recreation Centre 6.30pm
Mandurah Magic v Print Sync South West Slammers, Mike Barnett Sports Complex 6.30pm

Article by Chris Pike
Photo by Mick Cronin




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