Basketball: Kings make it to 12th cup final in a row

HOLDERS Edinburgh Kings are through to their 16th Scottish basketball cup final and 12th in a row after surviving a bad-tempered semi-final to beat Grampian League side Portlethen Panthers 105-44 in Aberdeen on Saturday.

Their opponents will be Falkirk Fury, who overcame Troon Tornadoes 93-80 in the other semi at Falkirk yesterday.

West Linton's former Kings junior and Scotland centre Roni Gordon dominated for Fury with a "double double", scoring 24 points and hauling down a stack of rebounds.

Also back fully fit after injury with a double double was another Scotland centre Si Flockhart, who scored a massive 28 points for Kings.

Kings juniors will also meet Fury in their Scottish final after taking care of Perth Phoenix 73-39 at Perth, where Grant MacKay scored an outstanding 28 points.

Fury mauled Troon Tornadoes 123-26 in the other semi at Falkirk.

Edinburgh Kool Kats, like Kings, have made it through to defend their trophy in the final at the Pleasance on March 27 but they left it desperately late,

eventually winning 74-71. They will have to play a great deal better to threaten unbeaten league leaders Glasgow Rocks in the final.

• CAPITAL coach Bobby Merrilees has a double cause for celebrating after BOTH his teams made it to the Scottish Chairman's Cup finals.

Edinburgh Spartans, his men's side, won their semi against Dunfermline Reign, 87-82, at Firrhill on Saturday and his women's side, Pentland Star, who ousted Midlothian Saints last week, will meet Highland Bears who beat Polonia Phoenix 53-46.