Neers out to bounce back at USC

BASKETBALL: The Mountaineers men are looking for a big scalp on their QSL double header this weekend.

Coach Matt Cox said there were signs of promise in their season opener against the Phoenix, but they want to turn the promise into results.

“We get a chance to go on the road for the first time this season and then back it up at home on Sunday,” Cox said.

“We got the jump on the Sunshine Coast and led for the first three minutes.

“All of our guys got game time which is a bit of exposure for the young guys, but we’re holding everyone accountable now.”

Cox said the team is aware they face a challenging double at the weekend, but know where they need to improve to get on the board.

“Rip City had a good win over the Gold Coast. They’ve got the Tueta brothers, and Isaih has a lot of QBL experience and some games at NBL level. We want to try and limit his impact,” he said.

“South West have a strong roster, but they have the Capitals on Saturday night, so they’ll have an early morning drive.

“We have to keep off the foul line. We gave up 41 free throw attempts, and committed 20 turnovers.

“We did really well with our rebounding, so we’ll look to get back in that battle and limit free throws and turnovers.

“Paul (Aleer) was great for us. He had some rim drives early on and some offensive put-backs. It’s good to have him back.”

It starts tomorrow when they take on USC Rip City, with the women tipping off at 6pm and the men at 8pm.

They return home on Sunday to host South West Metro, commencing at midday with the women and 2pm for the men at Clive Berghofer Arena.