THE Geraldton Buccaneers showed its quality last week beating the Rockingham Flames and now the Buccs could be on the top-of-the-table at the end of Week 9 if they beat the Hawks and the Flames come up short against the Wolves and Tigers.

There will be just the two men's SBL matches on Friday night, but then five on a big Saturday night across the league and four on a terrific Sunday afternoon of action to close out Week 9 of the 2014 competition.

There will be two matches on Friday night with the Lakeside Lightning taking on the Perth Redbacks at Lakeside Recreation Centre and the Orange Autos Rockingham Flames battling the Joondalup Wolves at Mike Barnett Sports Complex. Both matches tip-off at 8.30pm.

The Lightning host the Redbacks in a battle featuring two teams trying to earn their way back into the men's SBL top-four.

The Lightning currently sits in fifth place with a 6-4 record but the defending champions have lost three of their last four matches.

The Redbacks, meanwhile, were in terrific form up until last Friday losing to the Slammers and now sit in sixth position with a 6-4 record, and just having won two of five matches away from Belmont.

Friday's other match pits the Flames up against the Wolves as first takes on third in what should be a terrific contest.

The Flames have lost their last two matches against Lakeside and Geraldton to slip to a 9-3 record, but they remain on top of the men's SBL standings while the Wolves are in third with a 6-3 record having won their last two matches.

Saturday night's actions sees the Sun City Plumbing Geraldton Buccaneers play the Perry Lakes Hawks at Active West Stadium and also at 7.30pm, the Joondalup Wolves take on the Silver Lake Resources Goldfields Giants at Joondalup Basketball Stadium.

The final three matches on Saturday will take place at 8pm with the Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers facing the Lakeside Lightning at Eaton Recreation Centre, the Vorian Agency East Perth Eagles playing the Willetton Tigers at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre and the Raw Nutrition Cockburn Cougars taking on the Mandurah Magic at Wally Hagan Stadium.

The Buccaneers are within striking distance of top spot in the men's SBL now when they host the Hawks on Saturday night.

Geraldton has improved to an 8-3 record now having won four of their last five matches and if the Flames lost to the Wolves, and the Buccs beat the Hawks they will find themselves on top of the ladder come Saturday night.

Perry Lakes had a huge win over Stirling last weekend and has now won four of its last five matches to sit in seventh position in the standings with a 5-4 record.

The Wolfpack will then back up from playing the Flames on Friday night by taking on the struggling Giants at home. Goldfields currently sit in 13th position with a 2-8 record having lost three straight matches, and four of their last five.

The Slammers host the Lightning in what could be another enthralling contest with South West looking to make its move and win a fourth straight match and the Lightning steadying their championship defence.

The Slammers have now won three straight matches to be in eighth position with a 5-5 record while the Lightning have lost three of their last four games in fifth spot with a 6-4 record.

East Perth hosts the in-form Willetton also on Saturday with the Tigers finding their best form of the season having won three straight matches on the back of the form of import duo Quinn McDowell and John Dickson.

Willetton now sits in 10th position with a 4-5 record.

However, the Eagles will welcome back Tom Jervis fresh off his NBL-championship winning Rookie of the Year season with the Perth Wildcats and are looking to move a step closer towards the top-eight.

East Perth currently sits on a 4-8 record in 11th position.

The Cougars then host the Magic with Cockburn still desperate to gets its season rolling but it won't be easy against Mandurah.

The Cougars did show another glimpse of their potential with a win last Friday against Lakeside, but they then lost to Joondalup on Saturday and they now sit in 12th position with a 12th record.

Mandurah, though, sits in fourth position with a 6-3 record having won three of its last four matches.

Sunday's fixtures begin at midday with the Perth Redbacks hosting the Silver Lake Resources Goldfields Giants at Belmont Oasis.

Then at 2pm, the Vorian Agency East Perth Eagles play the Kalamunda Eastern Suns at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre, the Stirling Senators take on the Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers at Warwick Leisure Centre and the Willetton Tigers face the Orange Autos Rockingham Flames at Willetton Basketball Stadium.

The Eagles back up with another match shortly after playing the Tigers at home on Saturday by being back at Morley on Sunday taking on the Eastern Suns and Luke Nevill on Sunday.

Both teams will be looking for an important win to try to get themselves closer to a top-eight berth.

The Senators suffered a disappointing loss to the Hawks last weekend and now will look to bounce back on Sunday up against a Slammers team coming off a clash at home on Saturday night against the Lightning.

Stirling will be looking to win to improve on its current ninth position and 4-4 record on the season so far.

The Tigers then back up from facing the Eagles on Saturday night by hosting the top-of-the-table Flames on Sunday.

WEEK 9 MEN'S SBL FIXTURES
FRIDAY
Lakeside Lightning v Perth Redbacks, Lakeside Recreation Centre 8.30pm
Orange Autos Rockingham Flames v Joondalup Wolves, Mike Barnett Sports Complex 8.30pm

SATURDAY
Sun City Plumbing Geraldton Buccaneers v Perry Lakes Hawks, Active West Stadium 7.30pm
Joondalup Wolves v Silver Lake Resources Goldfields Giants, Joondalup Basketball Stadium 7.30pm
Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers v Lakeside Lightning, Eaton Recreation Centre 8pm
Vorian Agency East Perth Eagles v Willetton Tigers, Morley Sport and Recreation Centre 8pm
Raw Nutrition Cockburn Cougars v Mandurah Magic, Wally Hagan Stadium 8pm

SUNDAY
Perth Redbacks v Silver Lake Resources Goldfields Giants, Belmont Oasis 12pm
Vorian Agency East Perth Eagles v Kalamunda Eastern Suns, Morley Sport and Recreation Centre 2pm
Stirling Senators v Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers, Warwick Leisure Centre 2pm
Willetton Tigers v Orange Autos Rockingham Flames, Willetton Basketball Stadium 2pm

Article by Chris Pike