WEEK 4 of the Women's SBL gets underway with four monster games on Friday night including a battle of two semi finalists from last year and Mandurah's first home game since 2015.

The four Women's SBL games on Friday night will see the Perth Redbacks take on the East Perth Eagles at Belmont Oasis, the Perry Lakes Hawks face the Willetton Tigers, the Mandurah Magic host the Kalamunda Eastern Suns and the Rockingham Flames take on the Lakeside Lightning.

There is then just the one game on Saturday night with the East Perth Eagles playing the Joondalup Wolves at Morley and Sport Recreation Centre.

Then on Sunday at Warwick Stadium, the Stirling Senators take on the South West Slammers.

Petrik confident of Flames' staying around the mark 
Horwood happy to see Redbacks begin to click 
Week 3 Saturday night Women's SBL results 
Week 3 Friday night Women's SBL results 

 

Starting on Friday night, the Redbacks broke through for their first in of the season last Saturday night thumping the Eastern Suns by 26 points.

 

With a strong and experienced playing group, they will be looking to build on that momentum now at home to the Eagles but it won't be easy.

 

East Perth has been vastly improved already this season even without imports Abbey Duinker and Kaylee Kilpatrick.

 

Redbacks coach Keith Horwood is looking forward to the challenge.

 

"Winning helps obviously so we'll try and get home next week to take care of East Perth," Horwood said.

 

"I believe they've got a couple of imports so we'll see if they are here. Hopefully they are because we want to play everyone at their best. Hopefully they are here so we can even the ledger on the season and then go from there."

 

The Lady Hawks hosting the Tigers at Bendat Basketball Centre is another fascinating match up.

 

On the back of last year's semi-final appearance, the Hawks have started 2017 on fire with three strong wins with Deanna Smith coaching but the defending champion Tigers will provide their stiffest test.

 

Willetton lost its season-opener to Mandurah but that was without Stacey Barr and Zoe Harper among others.

 

They were back two weeks ago with Barr unstoppable against the Cockburn Cougars. Now after the bye, they will look to back it up against the unbeaten Hawks setting up a terrific contest.

 

The Magic will then get to play their first home game in the redeveloped Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre hosting the Eastern Suns.

 

Mandurah has won its opening two games of the season as well while Kalamunda has lost its first four so the Magic will be looking to open the new building with another win.

 

While it's not the building's official opening, Mandurah coach Randy Miegel is looking forward to the occasion.

 

"I would say that the club will pump it up and we'll get good support there even though we have our official opening when we play Rockingham on Mother's Day," Miegel said.

 

"That will be another special night but that first game we play in there will be fantastic."

 

The final game on Friday night then pits the Flames up against the Lightning at Mike Barnett Sports Complex. Rockingham is in unfamiliar territory at 1-2 to start the season while Lakeside is 2-1 setting up another important early season match up.

 

The lone Saturday night fixture sees the Eagles return home to Morley Sport and Recreation Centre after playing the Redbacks on Friday and taking on last year's minor premiers and grand finalists the Joondalup Wolves.

 

The Lady Wolfpack are so unbeaten after two games in 2017 but the Eagles are looking to continue to show how far they have improved.

 

The round concludes on Sunday with the Senators and Slammers battling in their only appearance of the weekend. Stirling has started the season well led by Amber Land, Kisha Lee and Jasmine Martin to win two of their three games.

 

While South West is also vastly improved under new coach Peter Harper setting up another contest that could go either way.

 

WEEK 4 WOMEN'S SBL FIXTURES
FRIDAY
Perth Redbacks v East Perth Eagles – Belmont Oasis 6.30pm
Perry Lakes Hawks v Willetton Tigers – Bendat Basketball Centre 6.30pm
Mandurah Magic v Kalamunda Eastern Suns – Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre 6.30pm
Rockingham Flames v Lakeside Lightning - Mike Barnett Sports Complex 6.30pm

SATURDAY
East Perth Eagles v Joondalup Wolves – Morley Sport and Recreation Centre 6pm

SUNDAY
Stirling Senators v South West Slammers – Warwick Stadium 2pm

Photo by Vikki Hile