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THE Lakeside Lightning consolidated their top four position with a hard fought four-point win over the Joondalup City Wolves to close Week 16 of the Women’s SBL on Sunday afternoon.

It was the final game of Week 16 in the Women’s SBL at Lakeside Recreation Centre on Sunday with the Lakeside Lightning defeating the Joondalup City Wolves 81-77.

Heritage Round in the SBL began on Friday night with the Stirling Senators beating the East Perth Eagles 80-75, the Willetton Tigers thrashing the Kalamunda Eastern Suns 93-45 and the Perry Lakes Hawks downing the Perth Redbacks 77-72.

Then on Saturday night, the Perth Redbacks beat the Cockburn Cougars 80-65, the South West Slammers defeated the Rockingham Flames 75-71 and the Perry Lakes Hawks downed the Mandurah Magic 75-69.

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It shaped as a fascinating battle on Sunday afternoon at Lakeside with the Lightning needing to further consolidate their top four position while the Lady Wolfpack were coming off their best form of the season with four straight wins including being the only team to beat the Perry Lakes Hawks.

Both teams had also had more than a two-week break since their last game so they were fresh and hungry to make a statement, and little separated them all afternoon.

The Lady Wolfpack did lead by two points at quarter-time before scores were all tied up at 41 apiece at the main break.

Lakeside took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter and that blew out to 11 with four and-a-half minutes left on the back of an Ali Schwagmeyer jumper.

But the Wolves kept coming and scored nine quick points to be just two points down with a minute left following five quick Shani Amos points.

There was still two points the difference with 30 seconds remaining before Schwagmeyer found a cutting Jess van Schie with a tremendous pass for her to lay it up. That was enough to seal the win for the Lightning ahead of their battle for third spot with Stirling on Friday night.

Sydnee Fipps came up big for Lakeside with 26 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots on shooting 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-9 from three-point range.

Schwagmeyer added 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Lightning while Ash Grant contributed 17 points and 11 boards. Sam Roscoe also had nine points, four assists, three rebounds and two blocks.

Lakeside coach Craig Mansfield was happy to come away with the second win over the Wolves this season and to see some execution when it mattered down the stretch.

“It tightened up a little more at the end than I would have liked. We were 11 up with three minutes to go and we had a couple of bad offensive possessions combined with a couple of bad defensive possessions,” Mansfield said.

“They shot really well at the end too and for some reason that happens at the end of games sometimes. We couldn’t rebound the ball there either and a couple of times it spilled around for open threes, and to their credit they made them to get back within two.

“I did have timeouts up my sleeve so out of one of them we ran a post up for Syd to run some clock. Then after another one we ran a side ball for Ali and she came off, and Jess cut out of the corner. For me it was symbolic of our development over a couple of years.

“There were a couple of little sequences there that they wouldn’t have been able to string together last year. That comes from getting to know what I want and getting to know each other. I’m happy with that performance.”

Klara Wischer top-scored for the Lady Wolfpack with 21 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and three assists.

Ellyce Ironmonger had a tremendous start offensively and ended the game with 14 points, eight assists and five rebounds with Amos contributing 13 points and five assists, Nikita Martin 10 points, six rebounds and four assists, and Shanice Swain eight points.

FRIDAY NIGHT ROUND 16 WOMEN’S SBL RESULTS
Stirling Senators 80 defeated East Perth Eagles 75
Willetton Tigers 93 defeated Kalamunda Eastern Suns 45
Perry Lakes Hawks 77 defeated Perth Redbacks 72

SATURDAY NIGHT ROUND 16 WOMEN’S SBL RESULTS
Perth Redbacks 80 defeated Cockburn Cougars 65
South West Slammers 75 defeated Rockingham Flames 71
Mandurah Magic 69 lost to Perry Lakes Hawks 75

SUNDAY ROUND 16 WOMEN’S SBL RESULTS
Lakeside Lightning 81 defeated Joondalup City Wolves 77

Photo by Mick Cronin