ROUND 4 Preview: Women

By James Woite

 

Eastern (2-1) v Southern (1-2)

Two sides that are looking good to rise above their 2014 records face off this week, with the Eastern Mavericks hosting the Southern Tigers.

The Mavericks won just four times last season, but behind impressive starts from Emma Hooley and Demetria Frank, they have the chance to get to 3-1. The Mavericks have come away triumphant in successive matches against Centrals and West.

The Tigers won their season-opener against Forestville, then just missed out on a 2-0 start when they went down to Sturt in overtime. A blowout loss to Norwood on March 29 means they are 1-2, but they could be considered unlucky not to be in a position to match last season’s total of three victories.

With both teams playing some good basketball, and looking, at this stage, as possibilities for finals, a win would be a big result for either side.

 

Norwood (4-0) v South (0-4)

A sensational 2014 campaign is suddenly a distant memory at Marion, with the South Adelaide Panthers needing a win against the Norwood Flames to matching last regular season’s loss total.

In contrast, the Flames have exerted themselves as a force once again. Jessica Foley has been outstanding, and the rest of the players are making positive contributions.

Last time they met, Foley was at her best with 18 points and 8 rebounds as the Flames defeated the Panthers 80-53. Jessica Mahony had 17 points and 8 assists for the Panthers.

The Panthers can at least take some confidence from their last trip to Mars, where they ran out big winners.

 

Woodville (1-2) v West (1-3)

The Woodville Warriors will be attempting to account for their disappointing loss to the West Adelaide Bearcats on March 15 in this week’s rematch at St Clair.

The Bearcats have historically dominated this matchup, but the Warriors had beaten them three times consecutively prior to their 58-71 setback on the season’s opening weekend. The Bearcats, who got 15 points from Kate Shierlaw, held Katherine Perkas, who has had some of her highest scoring games against them, to just 8 points.

The Bearcats have just that one win to date, with losses coming to Norwood, Eastern and Sturt. The Warriors have beaten South, while they have an additional loss to North.

The last contest between these teams was a second day of a back-to-back. It will be interesting to see if the lack of a game the previous day causes the flow of play to go in a different direction.

 

Centrals (0-2) v North (0-3)

Without a win since June 1, 2013, the Central District Lions have a daunting task ahead of them in ending their 29 game losing streak, with the North Adelaide Rockets coming to town.

The reigning premiers have won six in a row, posting three straight to start this season, after winning their final three of 2014. Jo Hill has once again been the Rockets’ top player, although Shannon McKay has also made an impressive start to the year.

Hannah Dixon top-scored with 14 points for the Lions in their last loss to the Mavericks, while Aimee Herriman had team-best 13 points in Round 1 against Sturt.

The Rockets’ bench players should raring to go, knowing they could see extended run this week.

 

Forestville Eagles (1-2) v Sturt Sabres (3-0)

In the Match of the Round, the Sturt Sabres will be looking to build on their unbeaten start to 2015 when they enter the home of the Forestville Eagles.

The Sabres have beaten three different types of cats – the Lions, Tigers and Bearcats – en route to a 3-0 record. Amy Shaw has been dominant and is an early season MVP candidate, while the likes of Kate Gladstone and Jess McPhail have also brought much to the team.

The Eagles’ win over South was their only positive result in three games, with losses coming against Southern and Norwood. The Eagles have had a different top-scorer in each game, with Megan Kermond, Samantha Defrancesco and Sarah Petrie leading the chart in rounds 1, 2 and 3 respectively.

The Sabres’ defence and ability to control the pace of the game were instrumental in their last win against West. If they perform to the same level in these areas again, the Eagles will have difficulty mounting a challenge.

 

 




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