THE Rockingham Flames women are on guard to try to avoid allowing the Willetton Tigers being able to do to them what they had done them as minor premiers in 2013.

The Orange Autos Rockingham Flames women have been the standout SBL team in the competition throughout the 2014 regular season having won their first 17 matches and then ending up with a 20-2 record to be a game clear on top of the standings.

However, the Willetton Tigers were also sitting pretty on top of the standings at the end of the 2013 regular season before then being bundled out in the quarter finals by the then defending champion South West Slammers.

That means that what happened last year both gives the Tigers the confidence that they can knock off the Flames but also that Rockingham heads into the series fully aware that they need to play well to advance to the semi finals.

The Tigers enter the playoffs having won six of their last eight matches and having been a vastly improved team since Simon Parker took over as head coach from Brad Spicer.

Rockingham Flames coach Ryan Petrik is fully aware of how dangerous Willetton is heading into the quarter-final series that begins this Saturday night at Willetton Basketball Stadium.

Game 2 will then be at Mike Barnett Sports Complex next Friday night with Game 3, if required, at the same venue on Saturday night.

"Willetton had a rough start to the year, but Simon Parker has done a terrific job of turning it around and guiding them into the playoffs," Petrik said.

"We know they've had a rough time against top eight sides, but the key for us is playing our style like we did last weekend, which will give us confidence in this series."

Petrik also is looking forward to seeing how some tantalising individual battles play out across the quarter-final series.

That includes Lisa Wallbutton up against Darcee Garbin and Kaye Tucker; Ebony Antonio up against Jacinta Bourne; Melissa Marsh opposed to Tarsha Fletcher; and then the superstars battle between Antonia Edmondson and Samantha Whitcomb.

"They have as much individual talent as anyone, but luckily for us we match up really well. They have a quality big in Wallbutton, we have two in Tucker and Garbin," Petrik said.

"They have a quick transition guard in Antonio, we have Jacinta Bourne. They have a scoring wing in Marsh, we have a defensive wing in Fletcher. And they have a star in Edmondson, but we have Whitcomb."

Article by Chris Pike
Photo by Vision Inspired Photography