Basketball: Kings left wondering if cup tie will go ahead

Edinburgh KINGS are due to play a Scottish Cup quarter- final tie at Portobello High School tomorrow but still did not know who their opponents will be or whether they would even have a game at all.

Club officials are furious with the national association BasketballScotland for leaving them in limbo.

"It's quite ridiculous, we have the court booked for 3.00pm and there are officials nominated for the game so whatever happens now we are going to incur costs for hall hire, etc.

"Our fixtures secretary has been trying all week to clarify the matter but, apparently, BasketballScotland's competitions officer is on holiday," said disappointed Kings coach Danny Costello.

"At the very least it's very discourteous," he added.

Part of the blame for the mix-up can be laid on the winter weather which caused havoc with several of the preliminary round ties.

Three other clubs are involved in the muddle - Highland, West Lothian Wolves and Grampian Grizzlies.

Highland were due to play Wolves with the winners meeting Grizzlies but neither of these games appears to have been arranged nor is there any word of clubs conceding.

One player glad of a rest if there is no game will be Kings centre Simon Flockhart who has been unable to train this week following the injuries he sustained in a collision with the end wall at the Mariner Centre last Friday night after he was fouled on a lay-up by opposite number Roni Gordon.

East Lothian Peregrines might have been an option for Kings to play tomorrow if their cup tie is indeed called off, as the two local rivals have a postponed game to fulfil, but instead Peregrines have rearranged another postponed game against Stirling Knights at Musselburgh Sports Centre, tip-off 8.00pm.

The previous games between the two at Stirling have been tousie affairs so sparks could fly.

But Peregrines, who went close to an upset at Troon where they led by nine before losing by four, will do well to contain a Knights team who have noticeably improved in recent outings.

Meanwhile, Ali Mitchell with 22 points, Dana Poder-Born with 21, and Sarah O'Brien with 17 helped Edinburgh University women pull off their best win of the season to beat powerful Northumbria University 80-61 at the Pleasance in the British Universities Northern Premier Division.

Edinburgh men need to beat Loughborough at the Pleasance on Sunday (1.00pm) to guarantee their place in the Premier Division next season.