Geraldton basketball round 12 preview: Olympians face tall task in ladder climb against undefeated Valley

Olympians have already secured their spot in the finals but they will face the Chapman Valley juggernaut as they fight to claim second spot on the ladder. With four rounds still left to play of the regular season, three teams have already punched their tickets into the division one finals — Chapman Valley, Olympians and Pumas — while Hawks need just one win to secure the last spot. Valley also have guaranteed their spot in the qualifying final, giving them a second chance once the playoffs begin, however it is looking unlikely they will need it given their undefeated record. It now becomes a battle of who will play them once finals comes around, with Pumas and Olympians tied for wins and Hawks sitting just one game behind. Olympians will have the task of facing Valley in the round 12 clash that kicks off on Tuesday. Olympians are coming off a five-point loss to the Hawks last week, in a game that ended with the scores looking close but the entire match seemed to be in the Hawks’ control. However, Olympians were just a five-man team and were without leading scorer Quinton Narkle, who played a big role in the team’s two prior matches against the Hawks. The Valley on the other hand continue to steam through the competition with an 11-0 record, led by their top scorers in Aaron Ralph, Russell Hurst and Llewyn Valli. Buccaneers captain Ralph has been hot from deep this season, leading the league in three-pointers with 49 made in eight games played, which is 20 more than the next closest player. The Wednesday games will feature the Pumas, hot off their 67 point win from last week, taking on Trades. The Hawks will face Stateside, who were on the other side of the blowout, with a win from the Hawks sealing the last spot in the finals. The women’s division one action took place on Monday night and saw the top two teams go head to head with Pumas facing Stateside and Chapman Valley going against Trades.