Basketball: Blaze must be up to speed or Falkirk will enact Fury

Boroughmuir BLAZE, whose opening schedule could scarcely be tougher, look like having another stern test when they travel to meet Falkirk Fury in the Scottish Basketball League at the Mariner Sports Centre tonight (8pm).

Cup holders and league runners-up Fury are virtually unchanged from last season and showed, in holding 
Glasgow Rocks to a 15-point margin in a challenge game at Grangemouth on Wednesday night, that they are already up to speed.

Fury however did have their former junior and Team GB star Kieron Achara back guesting for them and Blaze will be relieved to hear that the 6ft 10in centre will not play tonight.

However, the home side still have four other former Rocks in their line-up, Jonny Bunyan, who is back in a dual role with the Glasgow pro team and Fury this season, his older brother Keith, Roni Gordon and Scott Russell.

Considering Blaze had new signing Rob Jansson (ex-Kings, Peregrines and Stirling Knights Swedish centre) in the team for the first time and former Perth junior Ben Warrington was far from well, they did well to make a close game of their opening encounter against Edinburgh Kings and will be hoping that Jansson can keep out of foul trouble as he clashes with Gordon and the wily Frenchman Walter Lubeigt.

The experience of Laurie Costello and Kevin Anderson will be crucial if the Capital club are to stay in touch.