Basketball: Knights provide Kings with some uncomfortable moves

Newcomers Stirling Knights were far from daunted after being toppled 100-62 by the champions Edinburgh Kings in their opening Scottish basketball league fixture at Portobello High School on Saturday.

"It will not be 38 points when we play them at the Peak (Sports Centre)," vowed the Stirling club secretary Derek Hargreaves.

Down 28-13 after an impressive first quarter from Kings, and 47-24 at half-time, the Knights showed a refreshing fighting spirit in the third quarter and prevented their hosts from scoring for several minutes in reducing the deficit at one stage to 16 with Scottish internationalists and former Falkirk Fury clubmates Mark Duncan and Daniel Donnelly both playing well.

But, despite losing their outstanding defender Mike Kilpatrick to a painful ankle injury, Kings clicked back into gear with last season's national junior point guard Lee Reilly sparking their revival as they stretched their lead to 40 before the finish. Latvian forward Edgars Rekis led the home scoring with 24, Scotland centre Simon Flockhart added 19, Reilly 18 and Paddy Campbell 11 with all nine players contributing.

Another side set to make an impact in their first season in the league are Glasgow University, who went down only 98-84 to Scottish Cup-holders Falkirk Fury at the Mariner Sports Centre yesterday.

Both Fury's outstanding juniors from last season, Ali Fraser and Jonny Bunyan, have gone to the United States but, on this evidence, the Falkirk team will again be a force this season.

With Glasgow Rocks beating Glasgow Storm 92-75 three of the four new teams impressed on their debut but Dunfermline Reign struggled on their return to the national league, going down 92-50 at home to Troon Tornadoes.

In the women's league, Katy McBrierty scored 18 and Jenny Simpson 12 for Edinburgh Kool Kats in their 48-45 overtime win over Polonia Phoenix for whom Hilary Wood had 16 at Wester Hailes.