That task begins this Saturday with their second to last home game of the regular season against the 0800 Easy LPG Bay Hawkes. Coach Tony Webster knows a win will do two things for his side.

“We need to further build on our confidence and keep our winning run going. Each week we are getting better with recent signings Mike Bell, BJ Anthony and Prem Krishna really only just finding their rhythm with their team mates. It is important we continue to improve as we have done in recent weeks and make a statement to the rest of the league.

“This is also important as a win will keep the Hawkes behind us on the ladder and in fact guarantee that the lowest we finish will be 5^th. But we have our eyes on finishing as high as we can to give ourselves the best shot of post season success. We can only do that one game at a time and that begins on Saturday with the Hawks.”

Victory will assure the Heat of a position higher than the Hawks on the final ladder but more importantly will maintain the pressure on the Cougars and Saints immediately above them, keeping alive hopes of a top four finish to the season.

6 foot 10 import Mike Bell has certainly made his presence felt in recent games since his arrival as a replacement for Chaz Spicer. Already the American forward/centre sits just outside the top ten in player rankings for the league and can be relied upon to dominate in the paint and under the boards at both ends of the court. Bell is averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game in his four appearances.

Point guard Corey Webster continues to lead the league in scoring with 28.7 points per game and is third on the overall player power rankings.

The Heat has won their last 3 games and is assured of a position in the top six and play off basketball.