Division One Men (1^st 12-5): vs. Hawthorn (8^th 8-8) @ Boorondara Sports Complex, Saturday 8.00pm

 Geelong maintained top spot with three rounds remaining, despite splitting its weekend road-home double. Without Jason Reardon, the Cats went down to potential finals opponents Warrnambool 81-76. With the former Supercats’ MVP back in the line-up on Sunday, Geelong was too good for Latrobe City 92-79, with five players scoring in double-figures. Among them was sharp-shooter Dane Bow, who went 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. “The weekend gone was probably the biggest we have had to face this year,” coach Shayne Bow said. “We didn't start as well as we'd hoped against Warrnambool. A few controversial calls didn't help matters but to the guys' credit they rallied in the second half.” The Cats travel to Boorondara on Saturday night for a tricky clash with Hawthorn. Not only will a win put Geelong closer to the minor premiership, it will be a fitting way to mark to Paul Hutchison’s 350^th senior game of basketball in a Geelong singlet.

State Youth Championship One Men (9^th 6-11): vs. Hawthorn (11^th 3-14) Boorondara Sports Complex, Saturday 6.00pm

A Lewis Varley-inspired Geelong proved too good for Hume City with an impressive 95-77 win last Saturday night. Varley dropped 31 points on the Broncos on 13-of-25 shooting, as well as grabbing eight rebounds and dishing three assists. He received strong support from fellow Supercats’ rookies Marcus Larcombe (19 points) and Lachie Headlam (18 points and 20 rebounds). “Our plan which started last week is to make it as difficult as possible for the teams fighting for that fourth spot and Hume City was one of those teams, coach Luke Beauglehall said. “With some great team defence and some hard work from the guys on the bench we got our game together for great win.” The Cats are again on the road this weekend, taking on cellar-dweller Hawthorn. Superball commitments for the team’s Supercats rookies may leave the Cats lacking some depth. However, they will be boosted by the return of Emerson Varley.

State Youth Championship Women (3^rd Watson Conference 9-7): vs. Diamond Valley (1^st Watson Conference 16-0) @ The Arena Annexe, Sunday 12.00pm

An inability to convert from the free-throw line cost Geelong dearly in its 67-44 loss to Melbourne. The Cats went an inexcusable 13-of-32 from the charity stripe. If their free-throw shooting was bad, then their field goal percentage was just as bad. Geelong made just 14 baskets for the match from 69 attempts. “Our free throw percentage was horrible, and the basics such as boxing out and helping in defence when not needed resulted in the Tigers having easy outside shots with no pressure,” coach Kat Clancy said. The loss leaves the Cats still needing at least two wins from their remaining their three matches to sew-up a finals berth. It’s unlikely one of those wins will come from Sunday’s clash with Diamond Valley. The young Eagles are unbeaten and Clancy is well aware her team will need to be at their best. “However, recent results suggest they are not dominating teams as they were at the start of the season, so the competition is closing the gap.”