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WITH the Perth Redbacks and Mandurah Magic starting to string wins together and the Joondalup Wolves and Willetton Tigers suffering a couple of losses, positions inside the Women’s SBL top eight are getting interesting while the South West Slammers suffered two tough losses.

Round 14 was always going to be a fascinating one in terms of teams trying to consolidate playoff positions and the end result turned out even more interesting once the weekend’s action had concluded.

In the end, the Slammers couldn’t quite fire against two teams they entered the round on the same record with suffering losses to the Magic and Flames, with Mandurah now knocking on the door of the top four after also beating the Lady Wolfpack on Saturday night.

The Redbacks also won twice to consolidate a place inside the top eight for the first time this season while the Warwick Senators and Lakeside Lightning won well to remain solid in the top two positions.

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The Friday night action in the Women’s SBL saw the Lakeside Lightning beat the Cockburn Cougars 80-58, the Mandurah Magic defeat the South West Slammers 82-74 and the Perth Redbacks down the Willetton Tigers 94-63.

Then on Saturday night, the Perth Redbacks continued their momentum beating the Cockburn Cougars 77-57 while the Mandurah Magic defeated the Joondalup Wolves 73-59, the Rockingham Flames prevailed 93-52 against the South West Slammers, and the Warwick Senators beat the Kalamunda Eastern Suns 97-69.

Following 14 rounds of the 2019 Women’s SBL season, it’s the defending champion Lakeside Lightning (12-3) on top of the standings ahead of the Warwick Senators (11-3), Joondalup Wolves (11-4) and Willetton Tigers (11-7).

The Mandurah Magic (9-7) have improved to fifth position with the Rockingham Flames (8-7), Perth Redbacks (7-9) and South West Slammers (7-9) rounding out the top eight.

The Perry Lakes Hawks (6-8) slipped to ninth with the bye following three consecutive losses with the Kalamunda Eastern Suns (6-9), Cockburn Cougars (3-12) and East Perth Eagles (1-14) below them.

ROUND 14 WOMEN’S SBL

FRIDAY

LAKESIDE LIGHTNING 80 defeated ROUND 1 FITNESS COCKBURN COUGARS 58

The Lakeside Lightning bounced back well from a surprise loss to score a 22-point win over the Cockburn Cougars at Lakeside Recreation Centre on Friday night.

Despite the Lightning sitting near the top of the table and the Cougars second last coming into the contest, Lakeside entered on the back of a shock 29-point loss to Mandurah while Cockburn broke its 10-game losing run last week with a tremendous performance against Willetton.

That set the stage for a potentially intriguing match up but the defending champion Lightning worked on top early to lead 29-19 by quarter-time.

Lakeside continued that momentum in the second quarter, holding Cockburn to just 10 points and that saw the home side take a 49-29 advantage into the half-time break.

It was another 20 points to 10 quarter in favour of the Lightning in the third term before the Cougars did outscore them in the fourth period. But Lakeside still won 80-58 to improve to 12-3 on the season while Cockburn had 24 hours to bounce back at home to the Redbacks.

It was a solid outing from the Lightning with Ash Grant finding form to top-score with 15 points and nine rebounds on 7/11 shooting from the field.

New import Hannah Stewart also added 14 points, four steals and three rebounds with GeAnna Lualu-Summers contributing 12 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Ellyce Ironmonger 12 points, four assists, three boards and three steals.

Courtney Green also added 11 points and four rebounds for the Lightning while Courtney Mansfield returned for her first game since getting married for 10 points and four assists.

Abbey Ironmonger also played her first game with the Lightning having previously played 111 at the Joondalup Wolves and had five points and a block.

Alina Hartmann battled hard again for the Cougars for 16 points and 10 rebounds with Matilda Muir contributing 15 points and seven boards, Vanessa Michael 10 points and seven rebounds, Sally Graham six points, and Kahlia Morgan six points and three boards.

PRINT SYNC SOUTH WEST SLAMMERS 74 lost to CACHET HOMES MANDURAH MAGIC 82

One of the most crucial games of the round in the Women’s SBL took place at Eaton Recreation Centre on Friday night with the Mandurah Magic coming away with an important eight-point win over the South West Slammers.

The Slammers returned home on the back of impressive road victories against the Joondalup Wolves and Perry Lakes Hawks while the Magic were coming off a tremendous 29-point home win against the Lakeside Lightning.

Mandurah also added new import Taylor Brown who replaced centre Ginka Palusna who departed several weeks ago, and the Magic started well with a 28-point opening term to lead by five points at quarter-time.

The Magic slightly extended that lead to 46-40 by half-time before the Slammers produced a tremendous third quarter to turn that six-point deficit into a two-point lead by three quarter-time.

But Mandurah wouldn’t be denied and scored 25 points in the last quarter to 15 to come away with the 82-74 victory with both teams having big games to come on Saturday night as well.

New Magic import Taylor Brown showed that she’s capable of being a more than handy late season addition by producing 15 points, three rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes off the bench.

Casey Mihovilovich continued her tremendous form in what was her 481st SBL appearance, finishing the night with 20 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocked shots.

Delany Junkermeir also had an improved performance with 12 points and three rebounds while Carly Boag stood up inside for 15 points, six steals, five assists and four boards while also stepping out to hit 3/6 from three-point range.

Captain Rachel Halleen also celebrated her 300th SBL appearance with nine points made up of three shots from downtown.

Brittni Montgomery battled hard for the Slammers with 20 points and 10 rebounds while playing all but two minutes of the contest.

Courtney Bayliss played all 40 minutes for 20 points, 11 rebounds and six assists with Makailah Dyer contributing 19 points and five boards, Adele East six points and four assists, and Bianca Donovan five points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.

TEXTURE WA PERTH REDBACKS 94 defeated WILLETTON TIGERS 63

The Perth Redbacks ensured they are right back in the Women’s SBL playoff hunt with an impressive Friday night victory at Belmont Oasis over a Willetton Tigers team who remain the great enigma of the competition.

Three turnovers from Willetton in the opening two minutes set the tone for the night with the Redbacks opening up a 21-16 advantage by quarter-time.

There was an offensive outburst from both teams in the second term with a combined 59 points but it was the Redbacks remaining on top with 35 points to 24 to take a 56-40 lead into the half-time break.

The Redbacks continued to dominate and take care of the sloppy Tigers to outscore them in the second half 38 points to 23 to come away with the crucial 31-point victory.

Lauren Mansfield produced her best game with the Redbacks finishing with a triple-double made up of 24 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds and four steals.

She had plenty of support too with Morgan Pullins delivering 17 points and 11 rebounds while Rosie Deegan contributed 16 points and five rebounds, Nes’eya Williams 13 points and nine boards, Alix Hayward 10 points and six rebounds, and Jess Jakens nine points and four boards.

It was tough going for Willetton with Laina Snyder still top-scoring with 15 points to go with 15 points, 12 rebounds, five steals and four assists despite shooting just 6/23 from the floor.

Hayley Winter finished with 13 points and four rebounds for the Tigers, Wendi Bibbins 11 points and six boards, and Desiree Kelley eight points and five rebounds.

It was a decidedly sloppy performance from the Tigers as well finishing with 26 turnovers for the night from which the Redbacks scored 30 points from.

Willetton also only shot the ball at 31 per cent while also going 5/24 from the three-point line.

SATURDAY

ROUND 1 FITNESS COCKBURN COUGARS 57 lost to TEXTURE WA PERTH REDBACKS 77

Cockburn and Perth were both coming into Saturday’s clash at Wally Hagan Stadium after playing on Friday night and it was the Redbacks making it a double-win weekend beating the Cougars by 20 points.

The Cougars had lost to the Lakeside Lightning the previous evening coming off their third win of the season last week against the Willetton Tigers.

The Redbacks then also defeated the fourth placed Tigers on Friday night at Belmont Oasis to be picking up some momentum for the first time this season as they try to consolidate a playoff position.

The Redbacks started well enough to lead by five points at quarter-time but the Cougars played some tremendous basketball at both ends of the floor in the second quarter to build a handy lead.

That saw Cockburn lead 37-31 by half-time putting the task ahead of the Redbacks. But Perth responded well with 21 points to 11 in the third period and then 25 to nine in the fourth to end up winning 77-57.

It’s a third straight win for the Redbacks to see them improve to 7-9 in seventh position at the end of Round 14 while the Cougars are 3-12 as a result of the second loss of the weekend.

Lauren Mansfield backed up her triple-double the night before against Willetton by delivering another standout performance for the Redbacks with 20 points and six assists.

She had plenty of help too with Rosie Deegan contributing 18 points and six rebounds, Morgan Pullins 12 points and four boards, Nes’eya Williams 12 points, seven rebounds and three steals, and Jess Jakens 10 points, 10 boards and four assists.

The Cougars were celebrating the 350th game of Jodee Sontay and the forward battled bravely in her 34 minutes on court producing 11 points, six rebounds and two assists.

Alina Hartmann top-scored for Cockburn with 17 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals while Vanessa Michael contributed eight points, nine rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots, and Matilda Muir seven points and eight boards.

CACHET HOMES MANDURAH MAGIC 73 defeated CHAMBERS FRANKLYN JOONDALUP CITY WOLVES 59

It was a new-look Joondalup Wolves team that resurfaced following the bye but they suffered a second consecutive loss as the Mandurah Magic continued to build some impressive momentum.

Only eight days earlier the Magic had struggled in a loss in Rockingham and were just clinging to their position inside the top eight.

But they responded 24 hours later with an outstanding 29-point win over the Lakeside Lightning and then on Friday night to open Round 14, they scored a solid win in Bunbury against the Slammers.

They then had to back up the next night at Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre hosting the Lady Wolfpack who lost at home to the Slammers two weeks earlier and hadn’t played since.

In that time, they parted ways with Kayla Steindl while bringing in two new imports Jasmine Martin and Andee Ritter who both were on hand for the clash with the Magic on Saturday night.

Fresh from the two-week break, the Wolves started strongly too against a Magic team playing their fourth game in the space of eight days.

The Lady Wolfpack led 24-14 at quarter-time but the Magic turned things around with 20 points to 10 in the second period and scores were all tied away by half-time.

Mandurah continued on with the momentum throughout the second half with 23 points to 14 in the third quarter, and another 16 to 11 in the fourth to end up winning 73-59.

Given it was their fourth game in eight days, it was a tremendous win by the Magic who improve to 9-7 in fifth position while the Lady Wolfpack slip to third position at 11-4 having lost their past two games.

New Magic import Taylor Brown was again impressive with 16 points, six assists and five rebounds even if she did struggle a little shooting, going 5/19 from the floor.

Casey Mihovilovich continues to defy Father Time with another 16 points, five assists, four steals and three rebounds with Emma Klasztorny contributing 10 points and 12 rebounds, Carly Boag 10 points, six boards and five assists, and Delany Junkermeir nine points and seven rebounds.

New Wolfpack import Andee Ritter top-scored for her team with 14 points and eight rebounds with Georgia Denehey producing 12 points and Mikayla Pirini 10 to go with seven assists and three rebounds.

Amber Land also had nine points, six rebounds and three steals for Joondalup, and Chelsea Belcher six points and three assists.

CLASS 1 ORTHODONTICS ROCKINGHAM FLAMES 93 defeated PRINT SYNC SOUTH WEST SLAMMERS 52

It was another crucial battle in the playoff race at Mike Barnett Sports Complex on Saturday night with the Rockingham Flames proving too strong for a tired South West Slammers.

Rockingham was playing its only game of the weekend having split their Round 13 appearances against the Mandurah Magic and Kalamunda Eastern Suns, while the Slammers were coming off hosting the Magic and losing to them in Bunbury on Friday night.

Kate Fielding didn’t play on Friday and she didn’t take the court on the trip to Rockingham on Friday night and the Slammers don’t quite have the depth right now to cover the absence of such a key player.

It was a remarkably dominant opening stanza from the Flames as they piled on 27 points while holding the Slammers to just three for the entire quarter.

There was no coming back from that for the Slammers and Rockingham added another 29 points to 13 in the third quarter to lead by as much as 48 points during the night before winning 93-52.

The win takes caretaker coach Keegan Crawford to a 2-1 record in charge at the Flames as they steady themselves inside the top eight at 8-7.

With the losses to the Magic and Flames this weekend, the Slammers are only just clinging to eighth spot at 7-9.

Alex Ciabattoni joined the Flames for her first game and showed what a handy pickup she’ll be in the back half of the season delivering 15 points, three assists and two rebounds.

Darcee Garbin again top-scored for Rockingham with 23 points and nine rebounds with Maddie Allen contributing 17 points and 17 rebounds, Paris Duffield 10 points, Chelsea Petrik nine points and Christina Boag eight points, eight rebounds, four steals, three assists and two blocked shots.

It was a tough night for the Slammers but the great positive was a career-best performance in her 27th game from 17-year-old Beige Harris. She produced 16 points and six rebounds on 6/8 shooting from the floor and 4/6 from the foul line.

Makailah Dyer added 15 points and seven rebounds for South West and Courtney Bayliss 13 points and six boards.

BETHANIE WARWICK SENATORS 97 defeated KALAMUNDA EASTERN SUNS 69

The Warwick Senators returned to action for the first time in two weeks and delivered a commanding performance to beat the Kalamunda Eastern Suns by 28 points at Warwick Stadium on Saturday.

The Senators had the bye in Round 13 so hadn’t played since beating the East Perth Eagles by 37 points back on May 31.

So they returned to action fresh and raring to go on Saturday night on their home floor but the Eastern Suns were also making their only appearance of the weekend desperate to win to stay in touch with the top eight.

It was a tight opening half with the Lady Senators only leading by a point at quarter-time and then two points at half-time.

They did extend their lead to nine points by three quarter-time but it wasn’t until the fourth period where they pulled away. Warwick scored 31 points to just 12 from Kalamunda to end up winning 97-69.

The win steadies the Senators to second position and an 11-3 record having now won six straight matches.

The Eastern Suns remain a game outside the top eight following the defeat with a 6-9 record.

Stacey Barr had a night out for the Senators delivering 37 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and two assists on shooting 13/25 from the field, 4/9 from three-point range and 7/8 from the foul line.

Samaria Howard added 20 points and seven rebounds for Warwick while Tayla Hepburn delivered 11 points and three assists, Sam Roscoe eight points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks, and Maddison Hooper eight points.

Lauren Jeffers top-scored for Kalamunda with 14 points to go with four rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Jewel Williams also produced 11 points, five rebounds and four assists for the Eastern Suns with Carla Drennan adding 11 points, Katie Yohn eight points and 10 rebounds, and Alecia Knowles eight points and three boards.