THE Rockingham Flames will either end Week 10 well clear on top of the men's standings or with the Geraldton Buccaneers and Joondalup Wolves breathing down their necks depending on how the results pan out.

With three matches on Friday night, six on Saturday night and then one on Sunday afternoon there is plenty at stake in Week 10 of the men's SBL competition with the Flames having just the one game against the Redbacks on Saturday while both the Buccaneers and Wolves will have double-headers.

The action begins on Friday night with the Perth Redbacks taking on the Raw Nutrition Cockburn Cougars at Belmont Oasis, the Lakeside Lightning playing the Mandurah Magic at Lakeside Recreation Centre and the Perry Lakes Hawks hosting the Joondalup Wolves at WA Basketball Centre.

All three matches will tip off at 8.30pm with it also being the first occasion that each team will face off so far in 2014.

The Redbacks host the Cougars with Perth looking to improve on a 7-5 record and stay in touch for a top-two berth while Cockburn's focus is just on improving on 4-7 to try to stay in touch with eighth position. The Cougars have struck form of late, though, winning three of four matches.

The defending champion Lightning have lost three of their last five matches and have now slipped to a 7-5 record and down to sixth position and it gets no easier this Friday up against a Magic team looking to snap a two-game losing run, and trying to improve on a 6-4 record.

The eighth-placed Hawks then host last year's grand finalists the Wolves with Perry Lakes currently sitting in a 5-5 record in eighth position and Joondalup on 7-4 in third.

Then on Saturday night, two standalone men's fixtures tip-off at 7.30pm with the Joondalup Wolves hosting the Sun City Plumbing Geraldton Buccaneers at Joondalup Basketball Stadium and the Silver Lake Resources Goldfields Giants taking on the Kalamunda Eastern Suns at Neils Hansen Basketball Stadium.

There are then three matches all beginning at 8pm with the Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers facing the Vorian Agency East Perth Eagles at Eaton Recreation Centre, the Mandurah Magic playing the Perry Lakes Hawks at Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre and the Willetton Tigers battling the Stirling Senators at Willetton Basketball Stadium.

Saturday night's battles then conclude at Mike Barnett Sports Complex at 8.30pm with the Orange Autos Rockingham Flames facing the Perth Redbacks.

The Wolves host the Buccaneers in what is sure to be a tremendous contest. Joondalup will be coming off playing on Friday against Perry Lakes while Geraldton will come into the clash in second position with a 9-3 record.

A win for the Buccaneers will see them shoot clear of the pack in second position and maintain touch of the Flames while a loss and win for the Wolves will significantly tighten up positions from second spot on the standings down.

Geraldton has already hosted Joondalup back in Week 2 of the season with the Wolves winning on that occasion 99-91.

The Giants host the Eastern Suns in a battle in a battle between the SBL's bottom two teams.

Goldfields currently sits last with a 2-10 record and having lost five straight matches while Kalamunda is also on 2-10 and is on a seven-game losing streak.

The Eastern Suns will be hoping the presence of Luke Nevill can guide them to a third win of 2014 while the Giants will be hoping to capitalise on home court advantage.

The Slammers then host the Eagles in a contest between two teams determined to show that they are still to be reckoned with in 2014.

South West is in terrific form having now won five straight matches to have a 7-5 record in seventh position and while East Perth remains at 6-8 in 10th spot, it has now won three matches on the trot.

The Magic then host the Hawks in another fascinating battle with Mandurah backing up from taking on Lakeside on Friday and Perry Lakes having played Joondalup also.

Perry Lakes did already host Mandurah back in Week 1 with the Magic winning on that occasion in an exciting, high-scoring affair 129-119.

The Tigers host the Senators in another contest on Saturday night with big implications for the winner and loser.

This time both teams want to try to break into the top-eight with Willetton currently struggling at 4-7 in 12th spot having lost their last two while Stirling is on 4-5 in ninth having lost two straight matches also.

The league-leading Flames then make their only appearance of the weekend hosting the Redbacks who are coming off a clash at home against the Cougars on Friday.

Rockingham is again on a two-game winning streak to now sit clear on top of the standings on an 11-3 record and the Flames can further extend their lead with a win over Perth on Saturday.

Perth did already host Rockingham back in Week 1 of the competition with the Redbacks scoring a thrilling 96-93 victory.

Sunday's only SBL fixture then pits the Raw Nutrition Cockburn Cougars up against the Sun City Plumbing Geraldton Buccaneers at Wally Hagan Stadium with the game to tip-off at midday.

The two teams did previously meet back in Week 5 in Geraldton the Buccaneers scoring a thumping 116-80 victory at Active West Stadium.

WEEK 10 MEN'S SBL FIXTURES
FRIDAY
Perth Redbacks v Raw Nutrition Cockburn Cougars, Belmont Oasis 8.30pm
Lakeside Lightning v Mandurah Magic, Lakeside Recreation Centre 8.30pm
Perry Lakes Hawks v Joondalup Wolves, WA Basketball Centre 8.30pm

SATURDAY
Joondalup Wolves v Sun City Plumbing Geraldton Buccaneers, Joondalup Basketball Stadium 7.30pm
Silver Lake Resources Goldfields Giants v Kalamunda Eastern Suns, Neils Hansen Basketball Stadium 7.30pm
Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers v Vorian Agency East Perth Eagles, Eaton Recreation Centre 8pm
Mandurah Magic v Perry Lakes Hawks, Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre 8pm
Willetton Tigers v Stirling Senators, Willetton Basketball Stadium 8pm
Orange Autos Rockingham Flames v Perth Redbacks, Mike Barnett Sports Complex 8.30pm

SUNDAY
Raw Nutrition Cockburn Cougars v Sun City Plumbing Geraldton Buccaneers, Wally Hagan Stadium 12pm

Article by Chris Pike