Eastern Mavericks (0-15, 10th) v Forestville Eagles (9-6, 4th)

The Mavericks have three weeks remaining in which to avoid a winless season, starting with Forestville in the Hills on Saturday.

They were never in the game last week, trailing 8-24 at quarter-time, before ultimately losing 49-83.

It was the eighth time this season the Mavs had failed to crack the half century mark.

Tracey Beatty (10 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks) and Madison Bycroft (15 points, 4 rebounds) were, as usual, Eastern’s top contributors.

The Eagles are in a totally different position, coming off a 72-66 victory over Norwood.

Forestville is the only side to defeat the Flames this year.

Carla Borrego (26 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Monica Bello (22 points, 4 steals) were the best for the Eagles, while Georgia Minear and Jess Fergus also played well.

Forestville’s only loss with Bello and/or Borrego in the line-up was against Sturt in Round 14.

The Eagles are currently in fourth position and fighting for a higher seed.

The last time they met, Forestville won 80-37, without either Bello or Borrego, so anticipate this be a one-sided contest.

Norwood Flames (13-1, 1st) v Woodville Warriors (1-14, 9th)

Norwood will expect to bounce back from its first loss of the season when it plays host to the Warriors on Saturday.

In Round 15, the Flames trailed the Eagles by 16 at half-time, but closed to within three late in the game, before conceding the final three points of the match.

With Nadeen Payne absent, Norwood struggled to get much going offensively.

Jess Foley played well with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals, but shot just 7/21 from the field.

Kelsey Ireland was the only other Flame in double figures with 13 points, also adding 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

Woodville had a bye last week.

It played two matches the previous round, losing to the Bearcats by 30 and the Sabres by 40.

Ingrid Richards (10 points) was the only Warrior to score in double figures against West, while Claire Christie and Ursula Richards each scored 13 in the Sturt game.

The last time they met, Norwood registered its highest score of the season, winning 103-49.

I believe the scoreline will be similar on Saturday.

Sturt Sabres (13-2, 2nd) v South Adelaide Panthers (7-8, 6th)

In the Match of the Round, the Panthers will be playing for a seventh win in eight outings when they visit the Sabres on Saturday.

After a 1-7 start, South’s unforeseen run has seen it close to within half a game of the top five.

What has been most impressive is the amount the Panthers have won by. Their last five wins have been by an average margin of 26.2 points.

Last week, South defeated third-placed West 82-64.

Elizabeth Keane (26 points, 12 rebounds, 6 steals), Claire Johnson (27 points, 11 rebounds), Sarah Peddle (16 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds) and Simone Nelson (4 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks) were again the team’s four top performers.

However, beating Sturt will be a tough ask; a team that has lost to no one other than the Flames.

The Sabres have had the week off, due to a double-header in Round 14.

Minus the league’s leading scorer, Tess Madgen, Sturt still beat Forestville 73-68 and Woodville 88-44.

Nicole Seekamp was the match-winner against the Eagles with 30 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, before scoring 20 against the Warriors, where Caroline Burgess also scored heavily with 19.

The only way the Sabres could fall out of a top two finish is if they lose all three remaining games, including a defeat of at least 21 points against West, as well as the Bearcats winning all three.

Therefore, they virtually have second seed locked up, although there is a small chance they could be Minor Premiers by the end of the year.

Last time they met, before the Panthers’ resurgence, Sturt won 81-55.

This game is a great test for South to see how far it has come and I am sure the scoreline will be a lot closer this time around. However, I feel the Sabres will win, putting maximum pressure on the Panthers to win their final two.

West Adelaide Bearcats (10-5, 3rd) v Southern Tigers (7-8, 8th)

The Bearcats and Tigers will each have something to prove when they meet at Port Adelaide on Saturday.

West has won just three of its last eight, alternating between a losing week and a winning one over its past seven matches, and now has a slim chance of dropping out the five altogether.

Although it is unlikely the Bearcats will miss the finals, a loss here would probably see them out of the top three by season’s end.

The most recent West defeat was to the revitalised Panthers.

The Bearcats were outscored 27-41 after half-time and lost by 18, clearly showing the affects of the absence of Trudy Holland and Irene Sourlatzis.

Nikita-Lee Martin had a team-high 17 points, but shot just 7/22 from the field.

Alana Nairn had 15 points, while Kerrin Webber and Ashlea Vordermaier each reached double figures in rebounding.

Southern has been victorious only three times in its last ten games, and has consequently dropped from fourth to eighth.

The Tigers have failed to match the intensity of their opponents in recent weeks, with losses to first South and then Centrals, both of whom are also fighting for fifth place.

A loss here would virtually end their fading finals hopes.

In the loss to the Lions, Southern scored just 46 points.

The Tigers shot only 29% from the field and 40% from the foul-line, compared to their opponent’s percentages of 42% and 60%.

Ashleigh Spencer (13 points, 9 rebounds) and Kate Mousley (8 points, 7 rebounds) were Southern’s best contributors.

Last time they met, West was victorious 70-57.

On the Bearcats’ Jekyll and Hyde form, this week should finish with some success.

Central District Lions (7-7, 5th) v North Adelaide Rockets (7-8, 7th)

North will visit Centrals on Saturday in a match that could have a large bearing on which side grabs fifth place.

The Lions sit in fifth position, half a game ahead of the seventh-placed Rockets.

Centrals hold a +13 edge on the season split, having defeated North 70-57 when the teams last met.

The Lions looked as though they were falling out of finals contention for a while, but two wins in their last two games have kept alive their hopes of an unprecedented spot in the top five.

On Sunday, Centrals was too good for Southern, picking up a 64-46 road win.

Jess Mahony had her second consecutive triple-double with 16 points, 14 rebounds and 10 turnovers.

She also had 9 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks, falling just shy of a quadruple-double.

Fiona Perso was also good against the Tigers, scoring 16 points on 8/9 shooting in just 18 minutes.

The Rockets have won two of three, with the one loss coming in overtime to Norwood.

North’s most recent victory was against Eastern, thanks to 19 points and 16 rebounds from Tania Dhu and 16 rebounds, 15 points and 7 assists from Jo Hill.

The Rockets were feisty defensively and on the boards, conceding just 49 points on 27% shooting, and winning the rebound count 50-32.

Both teams are capable of pulling off a win here, so expect a close game.

The previous meeting between these two teams will mean nothing when the game tips off at 0-0, nor will North’s brilliant 5-2 away record.

I think the Rockets will just sneak home.

By James Woite