THE second last round of the 2015 SBL season could answer a lot of the remaining questions in the women's competition with the Rockingham Flames needing to win to secure the minor premiership, and the South West Slammers and Perry Lakes Hawks out to secure a playoff spot.

The Flames have lost just once this season but with the Willetton Tigers having only lost twice the minor premiership is not yet secured for the defending champions.

Meanwhile, the East Perth Eagles have put the pressure on the Slammers and Hawks to have to win to secure their place in the playoffs, with South West playing both the Tigers and Kalamunda Eastern Suns this weekend, while the Hawks take on the Mandurah Magic.

There are three games on Friday night with the Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers playing the Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers at Eaton Recreation Centre, the Lakeside Lightning taking on the Merriwa Tavern & Bistro Joondalup City Wolves at Lakeside Recreation Centre and the Mandurah Magic battling the Orange Autos Rockingham Flames at Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre.

There are then three more games on Saturday night with the Perry Lakes Hawks facing the Mandurah Magic at Bendat Basketball Centre, the Stirling Senators taking on the Perth Redbacks at Warwick Leisure Centre and the Kalamunda Eastern Suns playing the Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers at Ray Owen Sports Centre.

Starting on Friday night, the Slammers' big weekend begins up against the second placed Tigers who remain an outside chance of snatching top spot still if they win their remaining two games starting with this one in Eaton.

South West started the season on fire but hasn’t been able to rediscover that form and while they do appear safe to still finish in the playoffs despite losing to the Eagles last Saturday in a double overtime classic, they would like to find some form to avoid a quick exit.

Willetton, meanwhile, could still finish on top of the standings with wins in its last two games and if the Flames have a slip up, so the Tigers will want to keep their eight-game winning streak going against a team they could end up playing in the quarter finals either way.

The Slammers and Tigers last played in Week 8 and it was Willetton who won that contest at home 84-75.

The Lady Wolfpack, meanwhile, can secure at least third position when they take on the bottom placed Lightning at Lakeside on Friday night.

The Wolves sit on a 16-4 record having won their last three matches to sit third two games behind the Tigers but two games ahead of the Magic, so they look likely to stay there no matter what with two games remaining.

The Lightning will just be looking to find something positive to take out of the season having now lost 11 straight games to have a 1-20 record just 12 months after playing off in the grand final.

It was Week 11 when the two teams played one another earlier this season with the Wolves proving far too good on that Sunday afternoon at Joondalup Basketball Stadium winning 96-58.

The last game on Friday night should be a terrific contest with the Magic hosting the Flames with Mandurah the only team to have defeated Rockingham so far this season.

If the Magic are able to beat the Flames again then it would not only keep them securing inside the top four, but also leave Rockingham vulnerable of giving up top position.

However, since the Magic beat the Flames, Rockingham has won 12 straight matches to now hold a 19-1 record while Mandurah is in fourth on 14-5.

Last time the two teams met earlier this season was back in Week 7 in an Anzac Day battle with the Magic handing the Flames their only loss of the season so Rockingham will be desperate to gain revenge for that, but Mandurah s out to prove it can do it again.

The game could also go a long way to deciding the women's MVP for 2015 with Rockingham's Sami Whitcomb up against Mandurah's Casey Mihovilovich.

And on Saturday night, the Magic back up their clash with the Flames on Friday night by taking on the Hawks at Bendat Basketball Centre.

It's a crucial match for Perry Lakes as well with the Hawks remaining vulnerable in eighth position to the East Perth Eagles who have the bye this weekend and have a big ask to beat Joondalup in their final game, but unless Perry Lakes wins again then East Perth remains a chance.

The Hawks have lost 11 of their last 13 matches, though, so it's a big challenge for them up against the Magic.

Way back in Week 3 on a Saturday night was when the Hawks and Magic last played and in that contest it was a tight battle with Mandurah prevailing narrowly 79-72 at home.

The Senators and Redbacks also play one another with neither in playoff contention, but both looking to finish the season on a high. Little separates the two teams with the Redbacks holding a 4-16 record and the Senators 4-17 with Saturday night's game the last of Stirling's season.

The Redbacks and Senators opened the season by playing one another back on the Saturday night of the opening round, and the saw Stirling get off to a good start beating Perth 62-44 at Curtin Stadium.

The final game of the weekend is another with plenty riding on it with the Eastern Suns looking to bounce back from a couple of losses to build some form ahead of the playoffs by taking on a Slammers team coming off playing the Tigers on Friday night.

Kalamunda does look secure in fifth position with a 12-8 record but the Suns would like to get back to some winning form ahead of the playoffs.

It was way back in Week 3 when the two teams last played and that was a thrilling contest that the Slammers ended up winning 80-77 at Eaton Recreation Centre.

WEEK 19 WOMEN'S SBL FIXTURES
FRIDAY
Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers v Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers, Eaton Recreation Centre 6.30pm
Lakeside Lightning v Merriwa Tavern & Bistro Joondalup City Wolves, Lakeside Recreation Centre 6.30pm
Mandurah Magic v Orange Autos Rockingham Flames, Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre 6.30pm

SATURDAY
Perry Lakes Hawks v Mandurah Magic, Bendat Basketball Centre 6pm
Stirling Senators v Perth Redbacks, Warwick Leisure Centre 6pm
Kalamunda Eastern Suns v Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers, Ray Owen Sports Centre 6.30pm

Article by Chris Pike
Photo by Grant Lauterbach