Toowoomba Mountaineers end USC Ripcity’s QSL basketball finals hopes after bench shoots stunning 66% from the field in 10-point win

Toowoomba Mountaineers are already out of finals contention, but that did not stop them from causing havoc in the finals race on Sunday with their bench players shooting a combined 18-27 from the field in a dominant win.

Mitchell Davis for Toowoomba Mountaineers. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Toowoomba Mountaineers bench players Noah Silcox-Smith, Ben Toohey, Bailey Nwanevu and Mitchell Davis knocked down 18-27 attempts in a 10-point QSL basketball win that ended rival USC Ripcity’s finals hopes.

The Mountaineers, already out of contention after a disappointing season, played finals spoiler, beat USC Ripcity 82-72.

Both clubs were expected to make the finals this season after meeting in the 2022 and 2023 semi-finals but will both miss the 2024 postseason after disappointing campaigns.

Bench players star for Mountaineers

With big man Patrick Roche the only starter for the Mountaineers to shoot the ball above 35 per cent from the field, the bench players needed to show their class to help the visitors – which they did.

All four bench players shot the ball at 50% or better, with Silcox-Smith, Toohey, Nwanevu and Davis making 18 of their 27 attempts at a combined average of 66% per cent. Davis was on fire, not only leading off bench players, scoring a team-high 17 points on 73% from the floor in just 18 minutes.

Bailey Nwanevu in action for the Toowoomba Mountaineers. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Dominant

It was a stellar performance from Toowoomba as it led for 38 minutes and 56 seconds and did not let Ripcity take the lead once.

While a late final quarter run gave the hosts a glimmer of hope, the Mountaineers held the ascendancy for the entire clash and even stretched its lead out to 24 points at one stage. The all-round class of Toowoomba was clear to see as five players scored 10 or more points, while only two Ripcity players reached that mark.

Vengeance for Mountaineers

After falling in the semi-finals to USC Ripcity in the last two years, the Mountaineers have had the upper edge this year, winning both home and away games.

When the sides met at Clive Berghofer Arena back in round 1, Toowoomba came away with a thrilling victory.

Now in round 11, the Mountaineers dealt the final blow in Ripcity’s finals hopes, with the Sunshine Coast outfit now two games back from the fourth-placed Gold Coast Rollers with one game left in the season.