Basketball: Reilly and Kirkpatrick help Kings sweep aside Falkirk

AIDED by a purple patch from former Scottish international point guard Craig Reilly and a grandstand finish from shooting guard Mike Kirkpatrick, Edinburgh Kings snatched a dramatic last-gasp 69-66 win over Falkirk Fury at the Mariner Sports Centre last night.

That meant they completed a clean sweep of all four Scottish basketball league games against the team they'll face in the Scottish Cup final later this month.

Down 23-8 after the first quarter and committing turnover after turnover and missing shot after shot, the Kings showed why they

are champions for the fourth year in a row by going on a 15-2 run to trail by only seven at half-time, 42-35.

Reilly, whose younger brother Lee was establishing himself as a regular first team player last season until injury intervened, scored eight of these including two three-pointers, and Kirkpatrick got seven, including one three.

Reilly went on to tally 11 and earned praise from coach Danny Costello

"That's Craig's best ever game for the seniors," said Costello.

So well did he do that, when Kings took the lead for the first time 66-65 with one minute 50 seconds to go, it was Reilly who nailed the three-pointer.

Kirkpatrick, whose wife Alison flew in from Virginia where she is a student just in time to see him play, responded with a lay-up and a further free throw before time ran out to finish top scorer with 14 points.

Paddy Campbell added 13, jet-lagged Laurie Costello had 11, Simon Flockhart 10 and Garreth Lodge eight.

Ali Fraser had a magnificent 27 points for Fury with Roni Gordon adding 15 and Eric Olsson 11.

East Lothian Peregrines, meanwhile, went down heavily 80-57 away to Troon Tornadoes in Ayr.