Junior Neers face big tests

BASKETBALL: A number of Toowoomba Mountaineers junior sides will take to the floor in important BQJBC seeding fixtures today.

One of those teams looking to make the leap to the topflight Premier League competition is the U18s girls.

The side has been the shining light of Toowoomba junior basketball this season, remaining undefeated through six games with an average winning margin of 57 points.

Featuring QBL player Jorja Bolton and aspiring talents in Lilian Adler and Rhiannon Phelan, a win over the South West Metro Pirates would elevate them to the stronger competition.

“It’s important to be able to step up to the next level of basketball,” Mountaineers junior representative chairman Daryl Allen said.

“I’m pretty sure the girls played the Pirates during the grading tournament and lost, so it will be an interesting match-up.”

He said playing in the top grade would prove more beneficial for the team and as a potential pathway into senior QBL and SBL teams.

“I was coaching the SBL men for a few years and we’ve always tried to keep the link between the juniors and seniors,” he said.

“With kids moving between the ranks, it’s important for both the boys and girls.”

Allen also serves as coach of the U18s boys Southern Cup team which is facing a key fixture to remain in the second division against the Northside Wizards.

“Josh Allen returned last week and pulled out an awesome game for himself, but we won’t have Nick Nugent back until the state championships.

“You always want to stay in the better division, knowing you’ll play against the better players and teams.

“As long as we stay in division two, the teams we narrowly lost to, we know we can beat in the second half of the season.”

The U18s blue side can move up to the Challenge Cup with a win over Sunshine Coast, while the U16s and U21s boys will look to hold their positions when they face Brisbane and Gold Coast respectively.