KALAMUNDA Eastern Suns coach Craig Mansfield led his team to a stirring run to last year's women's SBL grand final but he knows getting back his team's defensive intensity is key to again being a contender in 2014.

The Eastern Suns have only been in the SBL competition since 2008 and last year the women's team made history by making the grand final from fifth position at the end of the regular season.

The Suns might have come up short in the decider against the Joondalup Wolves, but it was a tremendous performance just to make the grand final at the WA Basketball Centre and hopes were high of them backing up with a strong 2014 campaign.

Kalamunda currently holds a 6-7 record after 12 rounds of the 2014 season to sit in sixth position and it has been a bit of a rollercoaster including two losses by a solitary point.

The Suns lost their first two games of 2014 to Cockburn and South West before beating East Perth. There was then a loss to Stirling, win over Joondalup, loss to Lakeside and then a heavy 30-point loss at the hands of the unbeaten Rockingham Flames.

Kalamunda then beat Willetton and lost to Mandurah by a point before big wins over South West, East Perth and Willetton prior to an 18-point defeat to Lakeside last Friday night.

Alison Schwagmeyer has been an impressive addition to the Kalamunda team averaging 19.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals in her six matches.

With Jennie Rintala (15.0 points, 9.2 rebounds), Adrienne Jones (12.8 points), Chelsea Armstrong (9.9 points) and Sarah-Jane Knox (7.1 points, 8.5 rebounds) among the Suns players also making strong contributions this season along with Jessie Edwards, Meghan D'Arcy, Melissa Moyle and Rebecca Motroni.

As coach, Mansfield couldn’t help but be disappointed with the team's loss to the Lightning last Friday but now he and his players are focused on finishing strongly against Perry Lakes, Perth, Mandurah, Rockingham, Cockburn, the Redbacks again, Stirling, Joondalup and the Hawks again.

"Lakeside totally outplayed us and shot the ball exceptionally well, in the end only losing by 18 was flattering which shows how little of a contest the game was. For talent level it was one of the most disappointing nights we have had in my time involved in WSBL at Eastern Suns," Mansfield said.

"We have been trying to get to games healthy and consequently haven’t got the intense training repetition required which really shows in our performance, I guess there’s no point having everyone available on the weekend if we can’t play at the required level.

"The next six weeks we are resolved to roll up our sleeves, work hard and try and improve, especially on the defensive end."

Mansfield wants to see an immediate response from the Eastern Suns starting this Saturday night against the Perry Lakes Hawks at Ray Owen Sports Centre.

He knows it has to start at the defensive end if the Suns are to come away with the important win.

"Hopefully we can show some improvement on our performance last weekend," Mansfield said.

"We have enormous respect for CJ and the Hawks program so we know they present a big challenge, especially after playing two competitive games last season that saw each club walk away with one victory each.

"We are trying to get back to the defensive identity that has given us success over the last couple of seasons and hopefully we can see some intensity on that end of the floor."

Article by Chris Pike