THERE are five women's SBL matches across the weekend leading into the All-Star game on Monday with the Joondalup Wolves, Willetton Tigers and Mandurah Magic looking to maintain pace with the Rockingham Flames, and the South West Slammers and Stirling Senators out to return to the winner's list.

The weekend's action begins with two matches on Friday night with the Kalamunda Eastern Suns taking on the Schweigen East Perth Eagles at Ray Owen Sports Centre and the Soprano Designs Cockburn Cougars playing the Mandurah Magic at Wally Hagan Stadium.

Both Friday night women's SBL matches tip-off at 6.30pm.

Then on Saturday night there is also two women's SBL matches with the Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers facing the Perry Lakes Hawks at Willetton Basketball Stadium at 6pm, and the Perth Redbacks battling the Merriwa Tavern & Bistro Joondalup City Wolves at Curtin Stadium at 6.30pm.

And finally on Sunday prior to the All-Star game on Monday at Bendat Basketball Stadium, the Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers host the Stirling Senators at Eaton Recreation Centre with tip-off set for 6pm.

Starting on Friday night, the Eastern Suns host the Eagles with Kalamunda looking to stretch its winning run to six games but it won't be an easy task against the vastly improved East Perth team.

The Suns have now won five straight matches including a thumping 28-point win over the Cougars last Friday night to see them now have improved to a 6-5 record on the season and to be sitting in sixth position.

However, the Eagles have now also won three of their last four games including a 14-point victory over the Lakeside Lightning last Friday. That now sees them sitting on a 3-9 record and to be only narrowly placed outside of eighth position coming into Friday's clash with the Eastern Suns.

Melissa Moyle, Jessie Edwards and Abbey Duinker from the Suns, and Kelsey Maffin from the Eagles will then be on the same side come Monday in the All-Star game playing for the North Team.

Also on Friday night, the Cougars are looking to bounce back quickly from last Friday's 28-point loss at home to the Eastern Suns.

Cockburn hosts an in-form Mandurah team on Friday with the Magic coming into the contest having won two straight matches to improve to a 10-3 record that sees them hold a sizeable gap to the chasing pack in fourth position.

The Cougars, meanwhile, remain in seventh spot with a 6-8 record despite the loss last Friday.

Cockburn and Mandurah have already met this season and played out a thriller back in Week 6 at Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre with the Cougars ending up winning 61-57.

Casey Mihovilovich and Ashlee Sidebottom from the Magic, and Katie Loberg from the Cougars will then all back up from their game on Friday night to team up in the All-Star game on Monday as part of the South Team.

The Tigers and Hawks meet on Saturday night with both coming off having the bye last weekend.

Prior to that, Willetton's five-game winning streak came to an with a narrow four-point loss to the Rockingham Flames but the Tigers remain on a 10-2 record to sit in third position on the table.

Meanwhile, Perry Lakes has now lost its last three matches following a four-game losing run but the Hawks remain in fifth position still with a 6-5 record coming into the clash with the Tigers.

Willetton and Perry Lakes played earlier in the season back in Week 8 and that night saw a big 71-42 win for the Tigers at Bendat Basketball Centre.

Willetton's Louella Tomlinson, Ebony Antonio and Kate Malpass will then all be representing the South Team in Monday's All-Star game.

The Redbacks then also host the Wolves on Saturday night with Perth coming into the clash following a strong performance in a nine-point loss to the defending champion Flames last Friday night.

That sees the Redbacks on a 3-10 record to remain in contention for a spot in the top eight but they face a big ask against the Lady Wolfpack on Saturday night with the Wolves having now won four straight matches to sit in second spot with an 11-2 record.

Perth and Joondalup met back in Week 6 this season with the Lady Wolfpack recording a 75-51 victory over the Redbacks at Joondalup Basketball Stadium.

Gabby Clayton and Jess Jakens from the Redbacks, and Rebecca Mercer, Nikita-Lee Martin and Shani Amos will all then team up in Monday's All-Star game as part of the North Team.

The final match of the weekend before All-Star game Monday takes place between the Slammers and Senators on Sunday with South West looking to end its losing run at three games while the Senators are out to stop a five-match losing streak.

South West and Stirling met early in the 2015 season back in Week 3 and on that occasion it was the Slammers who scored a 71-62 win over the Senators at Warwick Leisure Centre.

Patricia Bright and Deonica McCormick from the Slammers, and Tegan Walker and Amber Land from the Senators will then again lock horns less than 24 hours later as part of the South and North teams respectively in the All-Star game on Monday.

WEEK 12 WOMEN'S SBL FIXTURES
FRIDAY
Kalamunda Eastern Suns v Schweigen East Perth Eagles, Ray Owen Sports Centre 6.30pm
Soprano Designs Cockburn Cougars v Mandurah Magic, Wally Hagan Stadium 6.30pm

SATURDAY
Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers v Perry Lakes Hawks, Willetton Basketball Stadium 6pm
Perth Redbacks v Merriwa Tavern & Bistro Joondalup City Wolves, Curtin Stadium 6.30pm

SUNDAY
Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers v Stirling Senators, Eaton Recreation Centre 6pm

Article by Chris Pike
Photo by Kerry Leeder