USC Rip City are poised for the biggest game in the club’s history.
The Sippy Downs-based outfit will collide with the Meteors in Mackay on Saturday, in the semi-finals of the NBL1 North competition.
They won their first finals match a week ago to go further than ever in Queensland’s top basketball league.
“It’s a huge game,” coach Nathan Arousi said.
“To get a breakthrough win in the finals last week (against Gold Coast) was a milestone for the club but we’re not finished yet.
“We want to make sure we continue.”
It’s been a long time since a basketball team from the Sunshine Coast won a major competition.
The Suncoast Clippers won the Australian Basketball Association in 1997, while the Clippers’ women’s team reached the grand final of the Queensland league in 2007, but the region’s senior teams have since struggled to reach the same heights.
Rip City entered the state league in 2017, based at the University of the Sunshine Coast, and have fallen at the quarter finals on three occasions.
It’s hoped they can bring back the glory days for Sunshine Coast basketball.
“It’s a tough road to the championship … but we understand the goal and we’re pretty driven,” Arousi said.
The Rip City players are desperate and determined to win.
“The roster has a tremendous mix of positions, talent and personality,” Arousi said.
“We’re all on the same page and the competitive nature of the group is elite.
“They’re all exceptionally hungry and fighting or a common goal.
“We seem to have found the right mix of players and that’s held us in good stead. That’s the reason we got our first finals win and hopefully it’s the reason we can win a championship.”
Utility Tanner Krebs, who plays with the Brisbane Bullets during the professional National Basketball League season, is among the stars for Rip City after joining in the off-season.
He is averaging 25 points and 7 rebounds per game.
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“He is going great, and he’s really delivered on everything I’ve expected from him,” the coach said.
“He really stamps his foot on games. He’s really hard to stop, is a tremendous rebounder and is defensively great.”
Meanwhile, guards Isaih Tueta (18 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds per game) and Kyle Zunic (14 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds per game) have proved to be a difficult combination for opponents to stop.
“We’re a lot stronger in the backcourt with depth, this year,” Arousi said.
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“Then there is forward Eric McAlister (16 points, 7 rebounds per game), who has had another stellar year. He’s shooting the ball great.”
“And then there is Josh Tueta (7 points per game) and Louis Ilton (7 points, 5 rebounds per game).
“They are our core six players and any one of them can get hot on their day. I hope all six of them do this weekend.”
Rip City men finished the 15-team regular season in fifth place, before toppling fourth-placed Gold Coast away from home in the quarter finals to set up a clash with second seed Mackay.
Rip City women failed to reach the finals.
The region’s other NBL1 North club, the Sunshine Coast Phoenix, are also out of contention.
The Phoenix, established in 2015, basically represent Maroochydore, Caloundra and Noosa and they were essentially borne out of the Clippers.
Their women’s team was eliminated in the quarter finals while their men’s team fell short of the finals.
