South Adelaide Panthers (4-10, 8^th) v Eastern Mavericks (0-14, 10^th)

Saturday July 14, 8.15pm at Marion

 For the South Adelaide Panthers and Eastern Mavericks, one of the two longest active losing streaks in the competition will come to an end on Saturday.

The Mavericks have not won in 2012 in 14 attempts – their last victory was against the Panthers in the final week of last year. The Panthers have lost eight in a row - their last win came at the expense of the Mavericks in Round 6. No other team in the competition has lost more than six consecutively.

Round 14 looked like belonging to the Panthers at one point, with a match against an in-form Forestville unit not fazing them. A 29-13 third quarter enabled them to pull back from a 15 point half-time deficit to lead by one with a quarter to play. However, they were outscored 17-32 in the fourth and lost by 14.

Patrick Mattson scored 32, while Damian Scanlon (22 points) and Jordan Robertson (19 points) were also productive. However, the remainder of the team combined for just 12 points.

Unlike the Panthers, the Mavericks had a horror third period, where they were outscored 8-26 by Norwood. This condemned them to a 20 point loss, after trailing by just six at half-time. Ed Millard was the shining light with 21 points.

Millard was not with the Mavericks in Round 6 when they went down to the Panthers by just three points, so this game presents a great opportunity for the Mavericks to finally get on the board.

 

Sturt Sabres (11-3, 1^st) v Norwood Flames (8-6, 6^th)

Saturday July 14, 8.15pm at Pasadena

The Norwood Flames will be hoping to continue their best form of the year when they visit the Sturt Sabres.

The Flames had a terribly inconsistent start to the season, with many a winnable game slipping past their finger tips. However, they are in the midst of a three-game winning streak that can be extended to four if successful on Saturday. The Flames are percentage out of the top five, although if the season ended before this round, they would secure the final place in the top five, as they hold a 1-0 series lead over the 8-6 Woodville Warriors.

Knocking off the Sabres would be no mean feat. The Sabres are 11-1 since a 0-2 start. They would have to lose all four remaining matches if they were to fail to make the finals, but have severe competition from the Eagles, Rockets and Bearcats (all 10-4) in the fight for the Minor Premiership.

In Round 14, the Sabres and Flames were victorious against the Tigers and Mavericks respectively. Darren Ng scored 31 in the Sabres’ 94-84 triumph at Morphett Vale, while Brian Moultrie’s 19 points were important in the Flames’ 78-58 scalp.

Last time they met, the Sabres romped to an 81-60 victory. Tom Daly had 21 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists for the Sabres, while Nathan Kareta scored 24. Keith Krause scored 21 points for the Flames, who had signed neither Moultrie nor Matthew Lycett (12.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg) at that stage.

The Flames have as good a record away as the Sabres do at home, so home court advantage should not be a factor.

With the stakes so high in a match that could shape the end-of-season ladder, a close game could be on the cards.

 

West Adelaide Bearcats (10-4, 4^th) v North Adelaide Rockets (10-4, 3^rd)

Saturday July 14, 8.15pm at Port Adelaide

In the Match of the Round, the West Adelaide Bearcats and North Adelaide Rockets will be vying for a top three position when they do battle at Port Adelaide.

Both teams are 10-4, with identical records home and away. The Bearcats have reason to be confident against the Rockets in their own building, as the Rockets have not been triumphant on St Vincent St since June 29, 2008, losing five times in the process. It is their worst active record at any CABL venue.

Round 6 at Hillcrest was a different story. The Rockets blew the game open early with a 24-13 first quarter, before cruising to a 94-74 win. Ed Millard, who is now with the Mavericks, scored 27 points that night, while Brandon Brine and Pero Vasilijevic had 22 and 18 respectively. Howard Salters Jr had 15 for the Bearcats, while Blake Truslove (14.2 ppg, 12.9 rpg) was hampered by foul trouble and finished with just four points and 2 rebounds.

Round 14 was a successful one for the Bearcats, but only mildly so for the Rockets. 34 points from Tristan Braithwaite (including 7/11 3-pointers) and 20 points from Truslove guided the Bearcats to a 101-67 road win over Centrals.

The Rockets, meanwhile, played the Woodville Warriors twice in two nights, which turned out to be a classic double-header. They won the first of the two at St Clair by 10 in over-time, after Pero Vasilijevic (19 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists) made a game-tying two-pointer at the end of regulation.

Vasilijevic went for the game-winner the following night at Hillcrest, but this time was unsuccessful, as the Rockets lost to the Warriors at home for a fourth successive season. Luke Mapunda had a team-high 17 points, while Vasilijevic registered another double-double.

With both teams evenly matched, it is hard to see a 20 point blowout happening for a second time.

Woodville Warriors (8-6, 5^th) v Southern Tigers (4-10, 9^th)

Saturday July 14, 8.15pm at St Clair

 The Woodville Warriors will be hoping for a better effort on their home court when they take on the Southern Tigers.

The Warriors’ excellent away form (5-2) has given them a realistic chance of making the finals, but they could be in a much better position if they had the same results at home. The Warriors have won just three of their seven home games.

Intriguingly, the Warriors would have identical records at home and away if two clutch shots from Rocket Pero Vasilijevic had come off differently. The Warriors lost their home match against the Rockets in Round 14 in over-time after Vasilijevic had tied the game at the end of regulation. Zane Reeves (29 points) and Puff Summers (13 points) were the Warriors’ high point men.

The next night, Vasilijevic’s buzzer-beater was off the money, with the Warriors holding on for a one point victory. Adam Blight stepped up with 23 points and 9 rebounds.

Unlike the Warriors, the Tigers have identical home and away records. Unlike the Warriors, the Tigers are not fighting for post-season action.

A home loss to Sturt last weekend ended any faint the Tigers had of a meritorious finish to the season. The loss came in spite of 22 points from Tyler Tanis and 18 via Codey Ellison. The Tigers are sitting 4-10, and would be eighth if the season ended before Saturday.

This game means much more to the Warriors and should be reflected in the result.

 

Forestville Eagles (10-4, 2^nd) v Central District Lions (5-9, 7^th)

Saturday July 14, 8.15pm at Wayville

The Forestville Eagles will be looking to make it six wins in six games when they come up against the Central District Lions.

A 99-85 victory in Round 14 has catapulted the Eagles into the league’s top two for the first time since the end of Round 2. Five players scored in double-figures for the Eagles, with Adam Doyle registering 19 and Neil Mottram securing a double-double. The Eagles have the same record as the Rockets and the Bearcats, but have both percentage and head-to-head over each club at this stage.

After being potential finals contenders just three weeks ago, the Lions have failed when it has mattered most. Three consecutive disappointing losses, including a 67-101 lesson from West, have seen the Lions drop out of the post-season picture for good. 17 points from Luke Frost and a career-high 15 points from Paul Joyce were not enough to stop the bleeding.

Last time they met, a then-struggling Eagles outfit was, like West, 34 points better than the Lions at Starplex. Brad Sullivan scored 23 points, while Trent Fildes and Brad Haydon had 20 apiece.

With the southerly Eagles heading north and the northerly Lions heading south, it would take a major upset and changing of fortunes for the Lions to defeat the Eagles.