Toowoomba Mountaineers women’s side suffer third-straight defeat

The Toowoomba Mountaineers women’s side suffered their third defeat of the season on Saturday. Check out the key takeaways from the contest here.

Hannah Lennan for Toowoomba Mountaineers. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The difficult start to the 2024 QSL women’s season continued for the Toowoomba Mountaineers on Saturday as they suffered an 81-73 loss to the South West Metro Pirates.

Toowoomba remained in the contest for the entire game but could never take the ascendancy for extended periods of time.

Check out our biggest takeaways from the contest here.

Dynamic duo forming

In the two games they have played together, Mia Stower and Paula Ortiz Cabballero have formed a lethal partnership

Stower’s athletic ability in the paint has made her a perennial threat close to the rim, while Ortiz Caballero’s playmaking has helped create options for herself and teammates.

Paula Ortiz Caballero for Toowoomba Mountaineers. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Against the Pirates, Stower stacked the scoresheet with 22 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Ortiz Caballero was the second-highest scorer with 16 points.

The pair were elite in offence as they hit 13 field goals from 23 attempts at 57 per cent, while Stower knocked down 10 free throws from 14 attempts.

Mountaineers dominate the paint

Led by captain Stower, the Mountaineers were a force to be reckoned with in the paint on both ends.

In offence, they scored an impressive 42 points in the painted area, while defensively, they kept the Pirates to just 20 points.

Late run not enough

Late in the third quarter, the Mountaineers had their backs to the wall as they trailed 62-45.

However, Toowoomba refused to lie down and flipped the game on its head as it went on a 19-6 run to cut the deficit to just four points with seven minutes to play.

Despite, the resilient effort to pull back the margin, it was as close as they would get for the rest of the game as South West Metro’s class shone through as it steadied the ship to claim an eight-point win.