Rip City reap rewards for ‘Kobe Bryant-level’ work ethic

Rip City coach Callum Turner has praised his under-14 girls for their dedicated “Kobe Bryant-level” work ethic after they snared a championship double.

USC Rip City's U14 girls took out Division 2 at the Queensland Basketball Championships.

Rip City coach Callum Turner has praised his under-14 girls for their work ethic after they successfully snared a championship double.

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The Sippy Downs outfit charged to a dominant 55-37 victory over Northside Wizards in Mackay on Monday to take out Division 2 gold medal glory at the Basketball Queensland Championships.

It came after a strong regular season, in which they were crowned BQJBC Southern Cup champions.

After being among the cellar dwellers in both competitions last year, Turner was pleased to see them complete a remarkable turnaround to claim a championship double.

"I'm speechless to be honest," coach Turner said.

"The girls have worked so hard.

"The girls worked their absolute hardest all season and they were pushing and pushing for this goal and they stuck together as a unit."

They were undefeated through their state championship campaign and lost just two of their 16 BQJBC matches.

So dedicated were the U14 girls' efforts the past year that he likened them to those of a late NBA heavyweight famous for his mentality on and off the court.

"They were going so hard, even outside of regular basketball training. It was just Kobe Bryant-level stuff," he said.

He said just under half the squad carried over from last year's season.

"They've really bonded over this last year, especially during the COVID break which was really tough," he said.

"So, they've faced down obstacles and overcome them to be season champions and now state champions."

Turner said the group had evolved over the year, even to the point where they needed little guidance.

"They started off at the beginning of the season as a bunch of individuals doing what they're told and then at the end of the season they've grown into a team that can adjust to different scenarios and work together to create the correct outcome," he said.

Meanwhile, Sunshine Coast Phoenix's U14 girls finished eighth in the top tier Division 1.

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