The State Basketball League has announced the quarter final times and dates Week 1 & Week 2 of the finals series.

With some of the most exciting match ups possible there is going to be action at every venue on every night making it a treat for fans.

In the Women’s competition the 7th placed Lakeside Lightning (12-10) will kick off the SBL Quarter Final action against the 2nd placed Willetton Tigers (15-7) at 7:30pm on Friday. The Lightning have beaten the Tigers twice in 2009 and are one of only two teams the Tigers have not beaten in 2009. In Round 8 the Tigers lost 81-89 and in Round the Lightning prevailed 58-66.

Other match ups are the first placed Perry Lakes Hawks (19-3) battling the eighth placed Wanneroo Wolves (10-12) at 6:00pm on Saturday. The Hawks have beaten the Wolves on both occasions in 2009 with a 96-58 win in Round 3 and 94-65 in Round 13. The third placed Rockingham Flames (15-7) are doing battle with the Kalamunda Eastern Suns who sit sixth at 12-10 at 6:30pm on Saturday. In 2009 the two teams have both won a game each, in Round 12 the Suns prevailed 64-43 but in Round 18 the Flames took the contest 69-63.

And the fourth/fifth placed battle between the Redbacks and Magic will be just as close on Saturday at 7:30pm. The fourth placed Redbacks (14-8) lost the first outing 60-48 at Mandurah. In the special Albany fixture the Redbacks prevailed on "home turf" 69-59. The battle between Shelley Boston and Brooke Hiddlestone could be the deciding match up with the Redbacks Australian Opal star Renae Camino out for the year.

The Men's competition see's all four game ones on Saturday night with the Perth Redbacks hosting the Lakeside Lightning first at 7:30pm. While at 1 v 8 both teams have had a victory in 2009 with the 11-15 Redbacks going down 120-85 in Round 1 yet they prevailed 107-98 in Round 14 over the 22-4 Lightning.

Also on Saturday at 7:30pm is the Cockburn Cougars (18-8) doing battle with the Geraldton Buccaneers (18-8). The fourth place Buccs prevailed on the weekend 107-88 and in Round 8 the Buccs also won 107-83. The sixth placed Perry Lakes Hawks (17-8) will tackle the third placed Wanneroo Wolves (18-8) at 8:00pm. The Hawks prevailed in Round 3 103-92 but the Wolves took out the Round 13 clash 96-86.

Last off the block is the reigning champions who are on the road at 8:30pm to the new kids on the block, the Kalamunda Eastern Suns. The 21-5 second placed Giants are on a roll recently with a 6 game winning streak. The 11-15 Eastern Suns have not defeated the Giants in 2009, going down 108-85 in Round 3 and again in Round 15 95-84.

In one of the tightest finishes to an SBL season ever, the finals action is expected to be just as close. All of the quarter final match ups could easily go to three games giving basketball fans the most exciting action they could possibly get. All fans are urged to get down and support their teams with many great teams having just two weeks of their season left!

The quarter Finals times are available below.

WSBL

Perry Lakes Hawks v Wanneroo Wolves
1 - Sat 25 July	6:00pm	Perry Lakes
2 - Sat 1 August	6:00pm	Wanneroo
3 - Sun 2 August	12:00pm	Perry Lakes

Willetton Tigers v Lakeside Lightning
1 - Fri 24 July	7:30pm	Lakeside
2 - Fri 31 July	7:30pm	Willetton
3 - Sat 1 August	7:30pm	Willetton

Rockingham Flames v Kalamunda Eastern Suns
1 - Sat 25 July	6:30pm	Kalamunda
2 - Fri 31 July	7:30pm	Rockingham
3 - Sat 1 August	7:30pm	Rockingham

Perth Redbacks v Mandurah Magic
1 - Sat 25 July	7:30pm	Mandurah
2 - Fri 31 July	7:30pm	Belmont
3 - Sat 1 August	7:30pm	Belmont

MSBL

Lakeside Lightning v Perth Redbacks
1 - Sat 25 July	7:30pm	Belmont
2 - Fri 31 July	7:30pm	Lakeside
3 - Sat 1 August	7:30pm	Lakeside

Goldfields Giants v Kalamunda Eastern Suns
1 - Sat 25 July	8:30pm	Kalamunda
2 - Sat 1 August	7:30pm	Kalgoorlie
3 - Sun 2 August	12:00pm	Kalgoorlie

Wanneroo Wolves v Perry Lakes Hawks
1 - Sat 25 July	8:00pm	Perry Lakes
2 - Sat 1 August	8:00pm	Wanneroo
3 - Sun 2 August	12:00pm	Wanneroo

Geraldton Buccaneers v Cockburn Cougars
1 - Sat 25 July	7:30pm	Cockburn
2 - Sat 1 August	7:30pm	Geraldton
3 - Sun 2 August	12:00pm	Geraldton

Game Three Only Played If Necessary

Photo by Marg Prior