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SEVEN days on from the SBL’s Easter Thursday contests, the action resumes with two traditional ANZAC Day clashes in the Women’s competition ahead of a monster weekend spread over Friday and Saturday nights, and Sunday afternoon.

Round 7 of the Women’s SBL begins with two traditional ANZAC Day fixtures which should both be tantalising match ups to mark the commemorations of the country’s most treasured day.

That will see the Perry Lakes Hawks host the Warwick Senators at Bendat Basketball Centre and the Kalamunda Eastern Suns take on the Willetton Tigers at Ray Owen Sports Centre. Both games tip-off at 1pm.

There are then three more matches on Friday evening with the Mandurah Magic taking on the Perth Redbacks, the Joondalup Wolves hosting the East Perth Eagles and the Lakeside Lightning battling the Rockingham Flames.

There are another three fixtures on Saturday night that sees the East Perth Eagles face the Perry Lakes Hawks, the Rockingham Flames host the Cockburn Cougars and the South West Slammers play the Lakeside Lightning.

The round then concludes on Sunday at noon with what could be the game of the round as the Willetton Tigers host the Mandurah Magic at Willetton Basketball Stadium.

ROUND 6 WOMEN’S SBL RECAP

Round 7 in the Women’s SBL begins on ANZAC Day and that includes the Lady Hawks hosting the Senators.

Perry Lakes comes into the game having dropped its last couple to the Wolves and Tigers to come into the game at 2-4.

They will face another stern test against a Senators team that is up and firing. Warwick have now won their past three games and look a decidedly deadly unit with Samaria Howard and Stacey Barr in the backcourt, and Tayla Hepburn and Bianca Villegas in the frontcourt.

With Perry Lakes desperate to bounce back and Warwick out to keep their form going, it should be a tremendous contest.

The other ANZAC Day fixture then pits the Eastern Suns up against the Tigers.

Kalamunda improved to 3-4 on the season with a win over East Perth on Easter Thursday but they now come up against a rolling Willetton team.

With imports Wendi Bibbins and Laina Snyder now part of the group, the Tigers are in some ominous form having won their last couple to hold a 5-3 record coming into the clash with Kalamunda.

The game also doubles as a rematch of last year’s quarter-final series where the Eastern Suns beat the Tigers to advance to the semis against Lakeside.

Friday night in the Women’s SBL will then see a rematch of the semi finals from last year with the Magic hosting the Redbacks at Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre.

It was a full strength Mandurah team for the first time last week with Carly Boag returning from a knee reconstruction and Bree Klasztorny also back into the line-up. The result was a win over the Slammers to improve to 4-3 heading into Friday’s clash with the Redbacks.

Perth hasn’t been able to replicate its form of last year with significant player turnover and with Lauren Mansfield yet to arrive. The Redbacks have lost their opening six games of the season and the trip to Mandurah looks like being another challenge.

The Lady Eagles then also face a significant test up against the Wolfpack at Joondalup Arena on Friday night. The two teams met earlier this season at Mirrabooka with Joondalup winning by 41 points.

The Wolves now come into Friday’s game on top of the table at 6-1 after a 30-point win over Rockingham last week while the Eagles are still winless in the past 39 matches.

The last game on Friday night should be a cracker with the Lightning hosting the Flames at Lakeside Recreation Centre.

It will be Lakeside’s final home for over a month and also the last home game of the season for triple MVP winning superstar Ali Schwagmeyer.

But the Lightning come into the game looking solid at 5-1 after bouncing back from a loss to Willetton to beat Cockburn on Easter Thursday.

An under strength Flames lost to the Wolves last Thursday but Lakeside coach expects a significant test against them come Friday night.

“We get Rockingham when they don’t have Garbin in so they are down a player whereas we don’t have our import in but we’ll have Ali,” Mansfield said.

“Ellyce will be back too, she got back on Sunday and will be right to play. It will be a really good test. I watched them play Hawks and I was really impressed with both teams and if you look at it, I could name six or eight teams this year that are looking good.

“I don’t think there’s as big a gap between a top and second tier this year. I think come the end of the season it’s going to be really competitive so games like this become even more important.”

Saturday night then gets underway with East Perth backing up its clash against the Wolves on Friday with another tough encounter against Perry Lakes at Herb Graham Recreation Centre. The Lady Hawks will be coming off their ANZAC Day clash with the Senators.

The Flames also host the Cougars at Mike Barnett Sports Complex with Rockingham having played the Lightning previous evening while Cockburn will be fresh having not played since losing to Lakeside last Thursday with superstar Kisha Lee sidelined through injury.

The Slammers are then playing their only game of the round at home at Eaton Recreation Centre to the Lightning.

South West has started the season well to be 4-3 despite last week’s loss to Mandurah and the scalp of the Lightning would send a strong message on Saturday night. But the Lightning and Schwagmeyer in her last game of the season will have other ideas.

The round in the Women’s SBL then concludes on Sunday at Willetton Basketball Stadium in what should be a tremendous match up between two strong and full-strength teams, the Tigers and Magic.

WOMEN’S SBL FIXTURES – WEEK 7

ANZAC DAY
Scarboro Toyota Perry Lakes Hawks v Bethanie Warwick Senators – Bendat Basketball Centre 1.00pm
Kalamunda Eastern Suns v Willetton Tigers – Ray Owen Sports Centre 1.00pm

FRIDAY
Cachet Homes Mandurah Magic v Texture WA Perth Redbacks – Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre 6.30pm
Chambers Franklyn Joondalup City Wolves v Schweigen East Perth Eagles – HBF Arena 6.30pm
Lakeside Lightning v Class 1 Orthodontics Rockingham Flames – Lakeside Recreation Centre 6.30pm

SATURDAY
Schweigen East Perth Eagles v Scarboro Toyota Perry Lakes Hawks – Herb Graham Recreation Centre 6.00pm
Class 1 Orthodontics Rockingham Flames v Round 1 Fitness Cockburn Cougars – Mike Barnett Sports Complex 6.00pm
Print Sync South West Slammers v Lakeside Lightning – Eaton Recreation Centre 6.00pm

SUNDAY
Willetton Tigers v Cachet Homes Mandurah Magic – Willetton Basketball Stadium 12.00pm