Basketball: Flockhart stars as Kings give students a scoring lesson

Edinburgh KINGS, the league champions, will play runners-up Falkirk Fury in the final of basketball’s Scottish League men’s play-offs at the Peak Sports Centre, Stirling, this Saturday after a rousing display to dispose of Glasgow University.

Kings, ahead just four points from the first leg at the Kelvin Hall, were far too strong for the West side in the second leg of their semi-final, winning 95-50 on the new wooden floor at Portobello High School, Edinburgh, on Saturday.

The Edinburgh side, with Lithuanian Audrius Ciapas back from suspension, had far too much height and power for the students, who managed to score only four points in the second quarter to trail 43-21 at half-time.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We were much sharper this time and executed our offences much better,” said coach Doug Reilly.

Simon Flockhart had a red-hot scoring streak in the first quarter, scoring eight points in a row mostly right under the basket and going on to complete another double double with 16 points and 11 rebounds while Edgars Rekis also looked hungry for his 21 points and four blocks.

But the sharpest of all was Lee Reilly with 23 points, seven assists, seven rebounds and four steals.

Glasgow showed a brief flicker of resistance at the start of the third when Canadian John Bustin punished some home indiscipline by scoring eight free throws in a row but Kings were long out of sight by this stage and running the bench. Bustin had 24 in all.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Falkirk, ahead by 11 points from their first leg in Paisley, progressed despite losing their second leg 83-79 to Scottish Cup-winners St Mirren at the Mariner Sports Centre.

Saints had closed the gap to two on aggregate at one stage in the second-half but Fury fought back and closed out the game without further trouble.

Related topics: