Eagles Rd 18 Preview | Home v Cougars

Featured image: Mark Filpo, @codexdesignstudio

Both East Perth Eagles teams are locked into the NBL1 West finals and it's the same for the Cockburn Cougars setting the stage for a fascinating finish to the regular season this Friday night.

It's the last round of the regular season and the Eagles are at home at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre to host the Cougars and all four teams are going to be part of the playoffs starting next weekend.

The women's contest gets underway at 6:30pm at Peter Campobell Basketball Arena with the men's clash to follow at 8:30pm.

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WOMEN

The Eagles now return to action after a week off looking to continue their impressive home form this season up against the top-of-the-table regular season champion Cockburn Cougars.

East Perth's five-game winning streak came to an end in heartbreaking fashion two weeks ago away to the Perth Redbacks ahead of the weekend off while the men were in Geraldton last Saturday night.

That leaves them in third position in the NBL1 West standings with a 14-5 record ahead of taking on the Cougars who are locked into a regular season championship for the second straight year sitting at 17-2 and having won nine in-a-row.

That means that coming into the Friday night match up and Cockburn can't be moved from top spot and they will be gearing up to host a qualifying final next weekend at Wally Hagan Stadium.

East Perth might currently sit in third position but won't be able to leapfrog the Rockingham Flames into second spot even with a win and a loss for the currently second placed team.

So that leaves the Eagles needing to beat the Cougars to guarantee themselves third position and avoid the prospect of dropping to third and then having to be that team to face Cockburn at Wally Hagan Stadium next weekend.

It's the second meeting between the two teams this season with Cockburn winning at home 91-81 back on May 15 but for the majority of the first three quarters the Eagles were on top in the contest.

The game will also be the second time that Sarah Mortensen has taken on the team she won two championships with after joining East Perth in 2026.

There are also tremendous match ups all over the floor including Mortensen likely facing her former championship teammate Daniel Raber and then the battle of fives between Jade Williams and Jessie Edwards.

Then should Jewel Williams return for the Cougars she'll take on Sydney Wright as point guards and then there is Eagles captain Stacey Barr up against Cockburn sharpshooter Cierra Walker.

Speaking of Wright, she is looking forward to the challenge of playing host to the Cougars on Friday night.

"I'm really excited and we've had some things that we've put in over the last week over the bye and we still think we're yet to play our best basketball," Wright said.

"Cockburn's a great challenge for us and we came up short against them the first time so this game's been circled on our calendar all year and we're excited to play them at home so it will be good."

MEN

The Eagles men are locked into eighth position no matter what happens on Friday night but will still be throwing everything at a win against the fourth placed Cockburn Cougars to head into finals on a winning note.

The Eagles might have lost in Geraldton last Saturday night for the first time since 2023, but other results did fall their way to ensure they are locked into the playoffs for a third successive season with losses for the Perth Redbacks, Lakeside Lightning and Mandurah Magic.

That leaves East Perth sitting eighth at 10-11 coming into Friday night's game two games behind the seventh placed Willetton Tigers and two games clear of the ninth ranked Redbacks.

The Cougars, meanwhile, arrive at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre sitting in fourth position with a 14-7 record and needing to win to remove any prospect they could give up a top four position and the finals double chance.

The two teams did meet earlier this season at Wally Hagan Stadium with the Cougars winning 107-94 on that occasion on their home floor.

While East Perth will be without Jonah Antonio for the match up with him currently at the Commonwealth Games with the Australian Gangurrus, there's no shortage of talent and experience for the Eagles to fall back on.

But there will be tremendous match ups all over the floor but what could very well take the cake will be David Okwera up against Johny Narkle in a contest that could very well be worth the price of admission to Peter Campbell Basketball Arena all on its own.

Eagles captain Lee Roberts knows how important it is for his team to take the chance against a top four team to get themselves ready for the finals no matter if they are locked in where they are on the standings or not.

"Coming into this game, it's not a matter of us not having to win or lose or whatever, I think it's a mentality of us being able to work on what we need to work on," Roberts said.

"That can come without the worry of not making it but we definitely want to win the game and go with that momentum into the finals.

"And prior to Geraldton, we were on a three-game winning streak and were playing some of the best basketball that we've played all season and I just believe that with us going into this game with the mentality to not let up, it's just about us improving our game.

"So win or lose, that's going to be what we needed to take with us going into the playoffs and obviously we want to win, but that's the mentality."