Eagles Rd 15 Preview | Home v Slammers

Featured image: Mark Filpo, @codexdesignstudio

It's back to Friday night action for the East Perth Eagles in First Nations Round of the NBL1 West as they play host to the South West Slammers in two crucial match ups in the context of the season.

The Eagles are back to Morley Sport and Recreation Centre this Friday night with the women's contest with the Slammers getting underway at 6:30pm with the men's match up to follow at 8:30pm.

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WOMEN

The Eagles women have consolidated a top four position and can continue to try to break into the top two in the NBL1 West over the last month when they take on the South West Slammers on Friday night.

East Perth are on a three-game winning streak now coming into the First Nations Round match up against South West on Peter Campbell Basketball Arena.

The two teams only met back on June 13 in Bunbury and on that occasion it was a 110-57 win for the Eagles which was the start of their current three-game winning streak on the back of losing both games of a double header the previous week.

That leaves the Eagles sitting in third position on the NBL1 West standings coming into the last month of the regular season with a 12-4 record to be hot on the heels of the also 16-4 Rockingham Flames and the league-leading defending champion Cockburn Cougars (13-2).

The Eagles made it three straight wins with the 20-point win in Kalgoorlie against the Goldfields Giants last Saturday night and there was plenty to like in that performance.

That included 25 points, 10 rebounds and four assists from Sarah Mortensen, 19 points, 10 assists and nine boards from Stacey Barr, 18 points and six assists from Sydney Wright, 19 points and 11 rebounds from Jade Williams, and 13 points and 11 boards from Brooke Malone.

East Perth also pulled down 56 rebounds to 35 from Goldfields for the game along with another 24 offensive rebounds to 13 to remain the best in the league in that category across the season.

The Slammers now arrive at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre having lost their past six matches to sit in bottom place at 3-12 but they still have enough talent to be more than nuisance value so the Eagles can't afford to take them lightly.

Superstar Eagles forward Mortensen is gearing up for a run at trying to become a three-time NBL1 West championship winner and is looking forward to another home game on Friday night.

"In that game actually we found each other and it was a great match for us to get everyone going, but in this league everybody can beat everybody," Mortensen said.

"I think that's what's been proven weekend after weekend so we've gotta be prepared and be ready to play. We can't take them any lightly."

MEN

The Eagles didn’t get the result they were after in Kalgoorlie last Saturday night but will be hoping to start building some momentum and to consolidate their playoff position on Friday night against the South West Slammers.

The Eagles will host the Slammers at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre on Friday night as part of First Nations Round in the NBL1 West still sitting in eighth position as they host a South West team having now lost their past 16 matches since a first up win to open the 2026 season.

East Perth currently still sit in eighth position entering Round 15 with a 7-10 record and having lost eight of the last 10 games, but still with five matches to go over the last month and destiny is still in their own hands.

David Okwera now won't be there on Friday night having been called up to the Australian Boomers squad to play against Guam at RAC Arena at the same time, but the Eagles will still back themselves to have enough weapons out there to get what could well be a season-defining win.

South West might have lost their past 16 matches but they also can't be taken lightly and only lost to the Eagles by six points at home three weeks ago.

With a team featuring Jhaylon Martinez, Philmon Gebrhiwet, Eythan House, Devan Craig, Dante Matakatea and captain Pharell Keats, you do get a feeling they will win again at some point this season and the Eagles will need to have to be on guard they aren’t the casualties.

Teenage Eagles guard Kai Kabugua is making the most of his increased minutes in the back court the longer this season has gone on and is looking forward to the team rediscovering some of their best form now on Friday night.

"It's definitely an important game and we had a close game with them last time we went down there and they're a good team even if their record might not show it," Kabugua said.

"They're still a good team so I think we just need to play how we know how to play, play as a team and play our brand of basketball and definitely get the win so we can roll into finals and get a couple of more wins down the road so we can hit the finals right."