AN East Perth Eagles Women's SBL upset could still throw things around heading into the final round of the 2016 season but if things go to form all attention remains on who will finish eighth.

Not only would a win for the Eagles over the defending champion Rockingham Flames potentially help the Willetton Tigers into second spot, but it would see East Perth finish a game clear of the bottom placed South West Slammers whose season is already over.

But if that upset doesn’t eventuate, the top four in the Women's SBL is set coming into the final round and the top seven positions look secure with just the Kalamunda Eastern Suns, Cockburn Cougars and Stirling Senators battling over eighth position.

The Senators would not only need to beat the Magic on Saturday night on the road but need a lot to fall their way while a win for just one of the Eastern Suns or Cougars and they are straight through.

Kalamunda plays the fourth placed Perry Lakes on Friday while Cockburn hosts the first placed Wolves.

If they both win or lose, and Stirling loses, then it will be Cockburn making the playoffs having beaten Kalamunda in the two meetings between the two teams during the season. However, if the Cougars, Suns and Senators finish on 9-13 it will be a three-way countback to determine which team makes the playoffs.

Another three-way tie could still eventuate if the Perth Redbacks lose to the Tigers, and both the Cougars and Eastern Suns win to throw another spanner in the works.

Week 20 gets underway with two Friday night matches as the Lapa Brazilian BBQ Restaurant Cockburn Cougars take on the Merriwa Tavern & Bistro Joondalup City Wolves, and the Perry Lakes Hawks battling the P&J Financial Solutions Kalamunda Eastern Suns.

Then on Saturday night, the Schweigen Home Appliances East Perth Eagles host the Orange Autos Rockingham Flames, the Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers play the Texture WA Perth Redbacks and the Mandurah Magic face the Bethanie Stirling Senators.

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Starting on Friday night, the fourth placed Hawks host the current eighth placed Eastern Suns at Bendat Basketball Stadium.

Perry Lakes will finish fourth no matter the result but the Hawks enter the game on a three-game winning run including beating the defending champion Flames last Saturday night.

The Suns can go a long way to guaranteeing eighth position with a win but it will take a big effort from the remaining squad with star Carley Mijovic serving the second week of her suspension. The Suns have lost their last two games to the Lady Wolfpack and Tigers.

The other Friday night fixture sees the Cougars host the Wolves at Wally Hagan Stadium and if Cockburn wins, it secures a playoff berth. It will be interesting the approach of the Wolves given top spot is already secured with an 18-3 record.

Cougars coach John Triscari has been impressed with the efforts of his team for the most part this season, but it has been patches against the top teams like the Wolves that have proven costly. He hopes they deliver a full 40 minutes this Friday night with so much at stake.

"It's just those one minute lapses of concentration that allows them to score 10 points," Triscari said.

"You can't do that against the top sides and I'm looking forward to pitting my wits against Craig Friday and we'll see what happens."

Playoff positions could well be secured by Saturday night but there are still three matches to be played starting with the Eagles taking on the Flames.

Rockingham will be smarting after a loss to Perry Lakes last Saturday and now with Darcee Garbin back after a week away to reteam with Sami Whitcomb, Ifunanya Ibekwe and company, the Flames will want to make the most of their last game before the playoffs.

However, the chance does present for the Eagles to show they have improved this year and finish on a surprising high.

The Magic lost to the Cougars last Friday night but bounced back to beat the Slammers on Saturday to all but secure fifth position leading into Saturday's clash with the Senators.

There might still be some hope for Stirling to finish eighth depending on what happens on Friday night, but Mandurah won't want to enter the playoffs in anything but top form if they are again without the suspended Adijat Adams.

Finally on Saturday night, the third placed Tigers host the seventh placed Redbacks at Willetton Basketball Stadium in what still could be a quarter-final preview depending on other results in the final round.

The Redbacks could still need to win if both Kalamunda and Cockburn beat their higher ranked opponents on Friday, but the Tigers regained some of their best form last weekend with wins over the Lakeside Lightning and Eastern Suns.

Willetton coach Simon Parker is glad to have his full team back including reigning Player of the Week Louella Tomlinson and while a match up with the Redbacks doesn’t hold any fears for him, he does know the Tigers have to play well to overcome them.

"It is good to have them all, now we just need to find that groove again and get back on track. The defence is probably our strong point but it's just about working a bit harder as a group and knowing what each other does again to get that groove back," Parker said.

"We actually match up on them better than a team like Lakeside because they have genuine bigs so Zoe (Harper) and them get a chance to play.

"Guards-wise I think our rotations are deeper than theirs as well so I would rather play Perth in the finals if I could than Lakeside, but this will be another good test and we will have to play well to beat them."

WEEK 20 WOMEN'S SBL FIXTURES
FRIDAY
Lapa Brazilian BBQ Restaurant Cockburn Cougars v Merriwa Tavern & Bistro Joondalup City Wolves, Wally Hagan Stadium 6.30pm
Perry Lakes Hawks v P&J Financial Solutions Kalamunda Eastern Suns, Bendat Basketball Centre 6.30pm

SATURDAY
Schweigen Home Appliances East Perth Eagles v Orange Autos Rockingham Flames, Morley Sport and Recreation Centre 6pm
Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers v Texture WA Perth Redbacks, Willetton Basketball Stadium 6pm
Mandurah Magic v Bethanie Stirling Senators, Mike Barnett Sports Complex 6.30pm

Article by Chris Pike
Photo by Mick Cronin