Basketball: Ritchie’s hot form puts her in Scotland reckoning

Despite a heartbreak 63-60 overtime defeat by Glasgow University at the Pleasance on Wednesday, which gave Glasgow the minimum one-point advantage in their head-to-head aggregate, Edinburgh University have not yet given up all hope of fighting off relegation from the Northern Premier Division of the BUCS Championship.

“We’ve still got two games left, and we’ll give it our best shot,” declared Edinburgh coach Chopper Pettett, who, after a turgid first half, saw his side twice build a six-point lead in the final quarter only for Glasgow to peg it back to 50-50 with five seconds left, thanks to two free throws from “Ugg” Zasimauskas, their Lithuanian guard and the game’s top scorer with 22.

Edinburgh’s top scorer, though with a dreadful percentage – he was one from 12 from three-point range – was Mike Kirkpatrick with 20 and ironically he missed two free throws to ice it at the end of normal time after being secure in that department.

But even at the end of overtime, a shot from Ben Warrington rimmed and came out when a one-point defeat would have sufficed to guarantee the Capital men’s league status.

Warrington and Amistaetter both added 12 for Edinburgh while Glasgow captain John Bustin had 13, 11, including five from six from the line, in overtime.

In a rather tamer match, Edinburgh women went down 66-43 to Leeds and now face a trip to Sheffield next Wednesday for their basement battle with Hallam.