BIG BALLER USQ TAKES OUT BIG Q

Dragons end Warwick’s unbeaten run to win title

BASKETBALL: The USQ Dragons have maintained their dominance of Darling Downs basketball, claiming their second successive Big Q championship.

Coming in as underdogs against the undefeated Warwick Wildcats, USQ were able to claw out a 96-85 win after capturing the inaugural title last year.

While Warwick was hungry for revenge after they were blown out of the water early in the 2017 decider, it was USQ that got things underway.

The inside presence of bigs Manylok Malek and Will Mitchell proved too much to contain, as QBL forward James Kuon picked up three early fouls.

That set the tone for the contest, with Malek going on to produce a team-high 40 points, while sharpshooting guard Joe McConnell added 26.

Malek capped off a tremendous season with selection in the All Star Five alongside teammate McConnell, and said his team came in with a clear plan to shut down league MVP James Legan.

While the star guard dropped 41, he wasn’t able to receive enough help to give Warwick the perfect season.

“As a team we were prepared and knew what they were going to be doing,” Malek said.

“We had played them twice in the season and knew if we could eliminate James from what he does best, shooting, it would put the pressure on their team.

“We knew that if we took away all their easy shots they would starting forcing them and become stagnant. As a team we were alert to who their shooters were and guarded them tight.”

USQ was able to lead for much of the contest after the

strong start, and Malek credits smart play on the inside to help them keep a healthy gap.

“It was a very close game and a game of runs,” he said.

“We were up by 10 one minute and then four the next. Whenever we had our run we kept the momentum going and kept driving at them to get them in foul trouble.

“Will did a great job in the paint and their bigs started getting a bit frustrated, and with the pressure we gave them, they weren’t able to handle it.”

Despite the loss, Warwick didn’t go away empty handed with Legan taking out league MVP honours on the back of averaging 34.5 points per game.

He was named in the All Star Five along with Toowoomba Mountaineers hopeful Josh Cremasco.

Photo: Gerard Walsh BACK TO BACK: The reigning Heathley Big Q League champion USQ Dragons (from left) Joe Topalov, Bob Ashford, Manylok Malek, Jack Gallagher, Will Mitchell, Joe McConnell and Matt Cox.