Basketball: Costello's hair-dryer treatment pays off as Kings trounce Tornadoes

Edinburgh KINGS maintained their unbeaten record for the basketball season when they defeated Troon Tornadoes 75-54 in a bizarre match at Portobello High School on Saturday.

Ahead 15-13 after the first quarter, Kings then proceeded to concede 29 points in the second quarter to trail 42-35.

"That was one of the worst displays I've experienced as a coach," claimed a shocked Danny Costello, whose half-time team talk must have been interesting.

Whatever he said it must have had the desired effect because it was a transformed home team who re-emerged and kept Troon to just six points in the third and seven in the fourth.

"To our eternal credit they took the half-time team talk on board," said Costello who was without Scottish international guard Paddy Campbell and Latvian Edgars Rekis but welcomed back Edinburgh University vet student Michael Kirkpatrick after his ankle injury.

"Michael played the whole game and gave us a terrific energetic defensive display while Lee Reilly turned in another outstanding performance, playing the whole game and scoring 22 points." Falkirk Fury, the only other unbeaten team had an even bigger fright at the Mariner, winning 97-94 after trailing by six with only two minutes left of overtime. East Lothian Peregrines, meanwhile, went down 71-69 at home to their bogey team Glasgow Storm.