Geraldton basketball round 14 preview: Pumas and Hawks to battle it out in fight for second

Second spot on the ladder is still up for grabs in the penultimate round of men’s division one in the Geraldton Basketball Association.

Olympians are second, one game clear of Hawks and Pumas, who will face off on Tuesday.

Whichever team finishes second will face undefeated Chapman Valley in a qualifying final, while the third and fourth finishers will meet in an elimination final.

Both Hawks and Pumas are coming off losses from last week, with each side being upset by Trades in the past two rounds, and Pumas lost by 29 points Chapman Valley last week.

Each team was missing a key player last week, with Pumas being down Harry Evans and Hawks without league-leading scorer Bob Griechen.

During the sides’ two clashes so far this season they have traded games with one win each.

Hawks got the 83-70 win in round four while Pumas got up 74-72 in round nine.

Both sides will be looking for Olympians to lose in their Wednesday match, as they sit one game above in second place with eight wins so far.

They will be taking on a red-hot Trades side, who have come into form during their last two games with upset wins over both Pumas and Hawks.

In the other match on Wednesday, Chapman Valley go against the winless Stateside team.

The division one women’s games were played on Monday after this newspaper went to print, and saw Stateside and Olympians face off, with Olympians trying to chase down the Scorpions to knock them off the top spot. Pumas were playing Chapman Valley.

While the Pumas, who are also chasing the minor premiership, faced off against Chapman Valley.