Finals-spot fight goes down to wire

Only one top-four spot across both senior Bunbury Basketball Association competitions is potentially available heading into Friday’s final round.

Even then, the Dunsborough Oilers men still need a minor mathematical miracle.

In fifth with a percentage of 95.05, the Oilers trail fourth-placed Tornadoes Red by 9.14 percentage points and would need both a heavy victory and a Red defeat to harbour any hopes of rising into the top four.

The Oilers will do battle with second-bottom Aces White, who were pipped by Eaton Eagles last week – marking their first win of the season.

If they are to win convincingly, the Oilers will need to increase their offensive output. In their past three victories, they have managed to only score under 80 points.

Matthew Mansfield will need to continue his run of good form, while Harry Mooney and Michael Warren also need big games.

On the other side of the coin, Tornadoes Red host brother side Black, who have second spot locked away and also an eye on week one of the finals series.

Both sides have met only twice this season, with Black dishing out hidings by 36 and 32 points respectively.

In the remaining game of the round, the buoyant Eagles have an opportunity to make it two wins on the bounce, when they do battle with Aces Sky.

A level of intrigue lingers across the A-Women contests, with Black and Red also squaring off.

Although Black sit top, they did lose their last match to Red when both sides met back on January 29.

The Oilers, who enter their clash against Aces Sky having won nine of their 10 games, will fancy their chances in the remaining game, with both Adele and Dana East available again for selection following their appearance at the 2019 BWA Country Championships.

Fixtures

Round 21

A-Men: 7.30pm Eaton Eagles v Aces Sky; 9pm Aces White v Dunsborough Oilers, Tornadoes Black v Tornadoes Red.

A-Women: 7.30pm Tornadoes Black v Tornadoes Red, Aces Sky v Dunsborough Oilers.