Basketball: Kings flex muscles in rout of understrength ’Muir

Moreover, with St Mirren crashing to a shock 82-68 defeat at the hands of Glasgow Storm at Scotstoun yesterday, the Scottish Basketball League title race is back to being led by two teams, Kings and Falkirk Fury, who downed Dunfermline Reign 90-58.

Even at full strength, Blaze would have struggled to contain the current Kings outfit, but with only eight players on the bench and virtually no height, the home side were soon being physically overwhelmed.

Simon Flockhart had scored 18 for the visitors by half-time, Edgars Rekis, back in the Kings team after missing their loss to St Mirren, hardly missed a shot and Lee Reilly, who was grabbing rebounds at both ends of the court, seemed a yard faster than any of his opponents.

The most competitive situation of a poor game came when ‘Muir guard Davy Rowan was being marked by his younger brother Neil, though Ben Warrington did score 20 points for Blaze.

Blaze, however, could take some comfort from the other two games, taking the junior encounter 51-39 and forcing favourites Kings to overtime in the cadet game before succumbing 55-52.

Meanwhile, Edinburgh Kool Kats slipped up for the first time this season, losing 72-69 away to Glasgow Rocks, with whom they now share top place.

Lauren Walker had easily her best display since returning from the Netherlands, scoring 18 points for Kats, who led by six after the first quarter but trailed by one at half-time.

Rowan Bell added 15 and Tracey Phillips 12 but Rhona Corkindale was dominant with 25 for the Rocks whose only defeat has been to Polonia Phoenix.

Polonia however also slipped up yesterday, going down 53-51 at Wester Hailes to St Mirren, whom they had beaten away only the previous week.

Phoenix at least had the satisfaction of beating Tayside Musketeers 67-45 in their junior women’s match and, more impressively, St Mirren 60-57 in the cadette game.

n FORMER Kool Kat Rose Anderson scored a dramatic winning basket with 18 seconds left to give her Welsh club UWIC Archers an 81-80 victory over the champions Sheffield Hatters in their top-of-the table clash in Cardiff on Saturday. Anderson had 22 points in total to help UWIC stay unbeaten.