Just as it was at the weekend, the Ballarat Community Health Lady Miners have to keep winning if they are to force their way into the top four.

This means defeating second-placed Bendigo Lady Braves at the Minerdome.

There is only one finals berth still to be determined.

Nunawading, Bendigo and Launceston are secure, with Kilsyth Lady Cobras the only vulnerable team above the Lady Miners.

Fifth-placed Ballarat closed the gap to Kilsyth on Sunday, but the Lady Cobras quickly rebounded with a surprise six-point win over Bendigo on Wednesday night.

With this victory under its belt, the head-to-head advantage over Ballarat and a much more favourable draw, Kilsyth holds the frontrunning in the battle for fourth place.

But Ballarat cannot worry about that.

All it can do is concentrate on beating Bendigo in the third contest of the season for The Courier-Bendigo Advertiser Cup.

The Lady Braves had the wood on Ballarat early in the season.

They defeated the Lady Miners 79-61 in the opening game and 75-55 in game three - results that Ballarat never fully recovered from.

It was not a matter confidence.

The losses put Lady Miners on the back foot and they have basically been behind the eight-ball ever since.

But do those results have any bearing on tonight's encounter?

As far as Ballarat coach Kym Cassells is concerned, definitely not.

It is too long ago and personnel in each team has changed significantly since, with Lady Miners import Michelle Musselwhite establishing herself as one of the best in the competition with three SEABL player-of-the-week awards.

Bendigo has picked up Lauren King, who is a damaging three-point shooter, and then there is powerhouse Gabrielle Richards, who just keeps getting better and is so hard to match up.

Cassells said Kilsyth's win over Bendigo had certainly not made Ballarat's hopes of making the finals any easier.

"That's one we were probably pencilling in as a loss for Kilsyth.

"We have to rely on them losing and we have to keep winning," she said.

The Lady Miners produced one of their best performances of the season to defeat Kilsyth at the weekend.

Cassells said Ballarat had no choice but to play right up to its best against the Lady Braves.

"Every game's like a final now.

"We have to give it everything."