Flockhart and Rekis lead scoring as Kings get vital first blow in on title rivals Fury

But it certainly did not look like going that way in the first half when the champions were down by as many as ten points and could not get their shots to drop, hitting just 17 points to Fury’s 24.

A late three by skipper Mike Kirkpatrick reduced the gap to seven before half-time and shortly after the score was 28-28. Controversy then struck with a series of technical fouls called against the home side, who appeared to lose their discipline, conceding 12 free throws.

With Kings at last managing to get their fast break going, they opened up a 14-point lead by the end of the third quarter.

Fury, to their credit, reduced the gap to eight in the fourth, but, with Paddy Campbell using his experience, the visitors tightened up their defence and had restored their advantage by the end.

Simon Flockhart led the Kings scoring with 17 points and added ten rebounds. Edgars Rekis, despite missing much of the first half due to a head knock, added 13 and five steals, Lee Reilly ten and a nine assists, while Mike Kirkpatrick got ten points and seven rebounds.

Guard Jonny Bunyan, called for “flopping” in the third quarter and then given a technical foul for dissent, nevertheless was Fury’s top scorer with 13.

Luckless Boroughmuir Blaze, despite a brave 15-minute contribution from the injured Chopper Pettett, were no match for Troon Tornadoes, going down 78-49 in their first home game at St Thomas of Acquins, though their junior 56-47 win over Troon offered some hope for the future, while Dunfermline Reign notched up their first win of the season, beating Glasgow Rocks 72-70 away.

An under-strength Edinburgh Kool Kats played four senior games in Manchester over the weekend, beating Worcester Wolves twice and Bury once but going down to hosts Manchester Mystics.