Both the Mandurah Magic men and women’s teams are gearing up for crucial games against Perth on Friday night, which loom as vital matches for each side’s finals aspirations.
After ups and downs throughout the season, both Mandurah sides are making a late push for the finals on the back of solid performances against Lakeside.
Here is how Friday night’s games could affect each Mandurah side.
Men
The Magic men lifted themselves from the floor of the State Basketball League ladder with a last-second win over the Lakeside Lightning last round, narrowly keeping their finals hopes alive.
They now sit three wins away from a top-eight berth, but with a tough schedule ahead of them, their game against Perth looms as a must-win.
Perth currently sit in seventh on the SBL men ladder, five spots ahead of Mandurah in 12th.
But despite Perth being a top-eight team with just one loss in their previous five matches, they actually shape up as one of Mandurah’s easier matches down the stretch.
In their final five games, Mandurah will play three of the currently-placed top four sides (Joondalup, Cockburn and Stirling).
So if they are to keep their finals hopes alive, one would think the Magic need to topple Perth and claim at least one upset win over their top-four adversaries (maybe two).
THE RUN HOME
Round 16 – Perth (7th)
Round 17 – East Perth (9th), Joondalup (2nd)
Round 18 – Kalamunda (14th)
Round 19 – Cockburn (1st), South West (10th)
Round 20 – Stirling (4th)
Women
The Mandurah Magic women’s team have showcased their best basketball of the season in recent weeks, winning five of their last seven games and storming into the top-eight on the back of a 10-point win over Lakeside last weekend.
Their strong rebounding game has become stronger, they are knocking down more shots on offence and they continue to spread the ball and get even contributions from a number of players.
But perhaps the most encouraging thing about the women’s run of success in recent weeks, is their losses.
It’s a strange thing to say, but the Magic’s past two losses have been by very small margins against very good teams.
Their most recent loss was a four-point defeat to Joondalup, who sit atop the ladder. The loss before that, a three-point loss to Willetton, who sit in second but were placed first at the time.
This shows that not only are the Magic beating lower-placed teams, they are also contending with the top sides and are just a couple baskets away from beating them too.
Those losses, while the Magic will tell you they should have been wins, could provide the confidence needed to take on a top side in the finals.
Mandurah’s women currently sit seventh on the ladder, and a win against Perth would further consolidate their spot in the top eight, while a loss could see them ousted from it.
But the women’s run home appears considerably easier than the men’s, as they play just three top-eight sides in their last seven games.
THE RUN HOME
Round 16 – Perth (5th)
Round 17 – East Perth (14th), Joondalup (1st)
Round 18 – Kalamunda (8th)
Round 19 – Cockburn (9th), South West (11th)
Round 20 – Stirling (10th)