Women's Semi-Final Week 2 SBL Preview

THE Kalamunda Eastern Suns and Joondalup Wolves both need to score road wins on Friday night to force their women's SBL semi-final series' against the Rockingham Flames and Lakeside Lightning respectively to a deciding Game 3 to decide the 2014 grand finalists.

The top two women's teams Rockingham and Lakeside at the end of the regular season both recorded Game 1 semi-final victories last Saturday night on the road to now need just one win at home this weekend to meet in the grand final.

Both women's Game 2 semi-final matches will take place on Friday night at 7.30pm with the Lakeside Lightning facing the Joondalup Wolves at Lakeside Recreation Centre and the Orange Autos Rockingham Flames taking on the Kalamunda Eastern Suns at Mike Barnett Sports Complex.

If the lower-ranked Eastern Suns and/or Wolves are able to record a victory on Friday night, then the deciding Game 3 will take place also at 7.30pm at the same venues on Saturday night with the grand finalists for next Friday night then to be determined.

The Wolves might be the defending women's champions, but they face a massive ask to now even force a deciding Game 3 on Saturday night.

The Lightning finished the regular season winning nine straight matches and then they beat the Mandurah Magic in two games in the quarter-final series.

Then by winning Game 1 against the Wolves in the semi finals, Lakeside is now on a 12-game winning streak heading into Game 2 at home on Friday night.

Also in the Lightning's favour is the fact that they have won 12 of their matches at home this season.

So just to force a deciding Game 3 on Saturday night, the Lady Wolfpack will need to end both Lakeside's 12-game winning streak and their unbeaten streak at Lakeside Recreation Centre this season.

Looking back to last Saturday night's Game 1 at Joondalup Basketball Stadium, the Lightning beat the Wolves 80-77 in a see-sawing contest that could have gone either way.

However, in the finish 26 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists from Kari Pickens and 19 points from Krystal Stoneking proved too much for the Wolves while Chelsea Burns led the way for Joondalup with 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Ellyce Ironmonger 16 points.

Meanwhile, the team that Joondalup beat in last year's women's grand final, Kalamunda, must beat Rockingham on Friday night to force the deciding Game 3 on Saturday night.

The Eastern Suns backed up their grand final appearance last season by finishing the 2014 campaign in fine form ending with a 14-8 record and in fourth position before beating the Cockburn Cougars in three tough quarter-final matches.

While that is all the good news for the Suns, the bad news is that their opponents have been the standout team all season long in 2014.

The Flames won their opening 17 matches of the season before having their winning streak stopped by the Suns.

Rockingham ended up finishing the season as minor premiers with a 20-2 record before then beating the Willetton Tigers in two quarter-final games.

The Flames then prevailed last Saturday night in Game 1 of the semi-final series with the Suns winning 95-88 at Ray Owen Sports Centre thanks to a 42-34 second half, and three starring individual performances.

Jacinta Bourne hit 30 points for the Flames, Samantha Whitcomb 27 and 10 rebounds, and Darcee Garbin 20 points and 12 boards while Melissa Moyle and Jennie Rintala both scored 22 points for the Suns, and Alison Schwagmeyer contributed 14 points, six assists and five boards.

The Flames and Lightning are in the box seat to make the grand final heading into the weekend, but the Wolves and Eastern Suns are last year's grand finalists, are quality and experienced teams, and will be confident of taking it up to the top-two ranked teams.

WEEK 2 WOMEN'S SEMI FINALS GAME 2 SBL FIXTURES
FRIDAY
Lakeside Lightning v Joondalup Wolves, Lakeside Recreation Centre 7.30pm
Orange Autos Rockingham Flames v Kalamunda Eastern Suns, Mike Barnett Sports Complex 7.30pm

WEEK 2 WOMEN'S SEMI FINALS GAME 3 SBL FIXTURES
SATURDAY
Lakeside Lightning v Joondalup Wolves, Lakeside Recreation Centre 7.30pm
Orange Autos Rockingham Flames v Kalamunda Eastern Suns, Mike Barnett Sports Complex 7.30pm

Article by Chris Pike
Photo by Serene Elise Photography




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