The Goldminers will have around three and a half hours between matches to recover, with wins in both games vital if the defending premiers are to challenge the Bankstown Bruins for the number one spot in the competition.

Making the job even more difficult for home-side will be the fact they are without the services of key players Teagan Burke and Rachel Murray.

Burke, who currently is the competition’s leading scorer with 288 points from 12 games, has been sidelined by a back injury while Murray has returned with a thumb problem after helping Australia to a gold medal at the FIBA Oceania Championships in Saipan.

However, Bathurst coach Paul Masters said tomorrow would provide the perfect opportunity for a number of players to really show what they can do.

“All the girls are going to have to step up, although in the past they have shown they can do that,” he said.

“Next weekend we take on Manly and the Central Coast and all of the team is going to have to play hard.

“But we want to get through this Saturday’s games first, making sure we don’t go into the matches thinking they will be easy games and look to take as much good as possible from them.”

Already this season Bathurst secured a 85-54 victory over the Bears thanks to a dominate display inside from centre Haylee Lepaio.

However, Masters said he side would not be pencilling in either match as a win before the final buzzer.

“Norths have a number of good ABA [Australian Basketball Association] players but you just don’t know who they are going to bring down, when we played them last time they definitely weren’t at full strength,” he said.

“We know Penrith are a young side, they have lots of players who are under 16s and they are struggling this season and are yet to get a win.

“But they are the second game on Saturday, so we won’t be taking them easy that’s for sure.”

Masters added while the two games in one day was not ideal, it was something that they would have to get used to as they take on both Manly and the Central Coast Crusaders next weekend.

“All the girls are going to be kept busy, it certainly will be good for their fitness,” he said.

“It will be good to get all of these games over and done with really. We are building up to the end of the season, so having this quick turn around should not hurt us to much.”

Bathurst will go up against the Norths Bears at 1pm and the Penrith Panthers at 6.30pm tomorrow at the Bathurst Indoor Sports Stadium.