Basketball: Blaze return to the top of the National League

They defeated Glasgow Storm 77-56 at Scotstoun Sports Centre on Saturday despite being without their star Tomas Cicenas.

As Glasgow University snatched a 60-59 home win over the champions Falkirk Fury at the nearby Stevenson Building, Blaze are still tied at the top of the table with the students on two defeats.

But it was the manner of the Blaze win which impressed as they crushed Storm 21-6 in the final 10 minutes with young players Sean Nealon, Sean Cole and Ronan Mullan on court for the whole quarter.

Blaze coach Simon Turner was full of praise for his young bench and also for Cole and Lewis Crofts for filling the gap left at centre by Cicenas.

“They stepped up big time,” he said.

Eoghann Dover led the Blaze scoring with 20 points, John Brown added 13 and Mat Kruczynski 12.

Down 20-13 to Fury after the first quarter, GU fought back to take lead after three minutes of the second and, though they were 25-28 down at half-time, captain Seb Cultera took over to edge them into a lead they just held.

Cultera scored 19 points and Chris de Souza 12 while Edinburgh student Greg Foussas notched 17 for Fury and French veteran Walter Lubeigt registered 11.

Edinburgh University kept up their chase for a top-four spot with a 63-48 away win over Tayside Musketeers at Grove Academy where Ron Adrian scored 20, including six threes, Brendan Mullan 13, with three threes and Davy Rowan 11, also with three threes.

EU women were not so lucky, having their home game with struggling St Mirren called off, while Edinburgh Kool Kats had to work hard for a 63-57 away win over South Lanarkshire Colliers.