Eagles Rd 15 Preview | Home v Lightning

Image credit: Mark Filpo (@codexdesignstudio)

East Perth Eagles will celebrate NBL1 West First Nations Round this Friday night up against the Lakeside Lightning at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre in two crucial games for both teams.

It's a significant occasion too to celebrate First Nations Round with the Eagles wearing special uniforms for the occasion and with Abby Cubillo and Fabian Johnson running out onto Peter Campbell Basketball Arena too to recognise their proud Indigenous heritage.

The Eagles and Lightning take on one another in the women's contest beginning at 6:30pm with the men's clash to follow at 8:30pm.

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WOMEN

The Eagles women do remain solid in a playoff position with a top four spot not out of reach but it does make Friday night's clash at home to the Lakeside Lightning a must-win affair for that to happen.

East Perth are back to Morley Sport and Recreation Centre on Friday night to host the Lightning in sixth position in the women's standings with a 9-7 record despite having lost five of the previous seven matches.

Lakeside arrives clinging to the slimmest of playoff hopes as well with a 5-10 record in ninth position and having lost five straight matches but it does mean it's a must-win clash for the Lightning as well to keep their season alive.

That means there's plenty at stake for two teams who are looking to rediscover some form at the right time of the season.

The Eagles did battle hard last Saturday night in Kalgoorlie but ended up losing in double overtime to the Goldfields Giants with the absence of Madi Torresin and Emma Clarke felt the longer the game went on.

Despite that, Sasha Goodlett delivered another standout performance for East Perth with 41 points, 15 rebounds and four assists while Abby Cubillo was also outstanding with a triple-double made up of 21 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

Awatea Leach also delivered 19 points, nine rebounds and three assists, captain Tessa Morrison 16 points, five boards and three assists, and vice-captain Taylor Roberts nine points, five rebounds and two assists despite sporting a black eye.

If those players can also stand up in a similar way on Friday night back home against the Lightning then it should mean good things for the Eagles.

The two teams last met only two weeks ago at Lakeside Recreation Centre with the Eagles scoring the 80-64 victory against the Lightning.

In that win, Goodlett provided 22 points, eight rebounds and three assists in her match up reigning MVP Teige Morrell who has now this week signed to continue her WNBL career at the UC Capitals.

Morrison also had 18 points for East Perth with Roberts adding 16 points, four rebounds and two assists, Cubillo 13 points, six assists and five boards, and Leach seven points, six rebounds and five assists.

There's plenty at stake in the match up for the Eagles with them currently sitting sixth with a 9-7 record to be only a game behind the fourth placed Willetton Tigers who are 10-6 but are currently without both Zitina Aokuso an Ajulu Thatha.

So a win on Friday night for the Eagles and they put themselves right back in the top four hunt with games to finish over the last three weeks at home to the Eastern Suns, and away to the Perry Lakes Hawks and Joondalup Wolves.

MEN

The rollercoaster ride that is the 2025 season of the Eagles took a downward swing again last Saturday night in Kalgoorlie but the chance is there to stay in the finals hunt with a win against the out of contention Lightning this Friday.

The Eagles are back home at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre for the Round 15 match up needing to beat the Lightning to remain any hope of playing finals in 2025.

East Perth comes into the round sitting in 10th position with a 7-10 record following a disappointing loss in Kalgoorlie to the Goldfields Giants last Saturday night.

However, finals is still not out of reach with the Eastern Suns, Giants and Mandurah Magic in those sixth, seventh and eighth positions and all of them clinging to 9-8 records.

That means that they are still within reach for East Perth but the Eagles do need to start stringing some wins together and the first step in that has to begin when hosting Lakeside on Friday night.

The Lightning arrive at Peter Campbell Basketball Arena out of the finals hunt with a 5-12 record, but they are a team with talent including former NBL trio Corey Shervill, Rowan Mackenzie and Josh Davey, and imports AJ Wilson and Isaiah Lewis.

It was Lewis who did the damage two weeks ago when the teams last met at Lakeside Recreation Centre when he had 33 points, seven assists and five rebounds with the Lightning ending up beating the Eagles 99-93.

However, the Eagles are in a good run of form at home in recent weeks with the wins against the South West Slammers, Goldfields Giants, Perth Redbacks and Perry Lakes Hawks by a combined 72 points.

So that's four straight home victories for East Perth and they will be looking to make it five on Friday night and in the process keep themselves right in the finals hunt by getting to eight wins with four matches of the season remaining over the last three weeks.