FURY AGE GROUP NEWS

Clark Eriksson Fury’s other 4 Division1 National League sides had mixed fortunes, but a standout win by 39 points for the Junior Men saw them retain 3^rd spot in their National League. A 94-55 win over Dunfermline Reign saw Scotland star Fraser Malcolm hit 31 points as the juniors swept to victory in Fife. A 29 point performance from Connor Martin continues to question his non selection to the Scotland junior squad this season as Fury’s top scorer in the National League this season was again in excellent form. 16 year old Kenny Makusha had his best game of the season and drew admiring comments from the Fife fans over his speed and basketball ability. The Junior team continues to show what  hard work in training and attention to off court detail can bring with the whole team a fantastic example of what the club strives to achieve on and off court in their players.

The Cadet men suffered a one basket loss to Reign in what provoked a strange call from one match official as he denied Fury a pressing stratedgy late on in the game – saying as Fury had not used this tactic earlier that could not use it and “surprise” their opponents at the end of the game –simply bizzare! Despite 40 points from Fury’s Lithuanian Eddy Leginus his tally was not enough to save the match for the Falkirk side. Leginus continues to show he is one Scotland’s top talents yet in another National team issue for the club Leginus match time in recent Scotland games was minimal causing the Fury Headcoach again to question the way some of the National teams are being coached and selections for them being made.

While Fury have a large number of Scotland players – 20 last season and the number will be similar this season – two of Fury’s top scorers in their respective junior teams – Nikoline Laidlaw and Connor Martin were not selected causing Fury coaches to simply be amazed at these non selections.

The Junior and Cadette woman faced tougher challenges against St.Mirren sides siting at the top of their respective leagues. Going down easily, there were few noteable performances from the womans teams. Shannon Flippard played with her usual intensity in the junior game with Nikoline Laidlaw managing a double double with 12 points and 11 boards. Only Laura Young made any impact in the Cadette game hitting 20 points with hard working performances from Sarah Beattie in both games.

While the Fury mens teams continue to challenge for honors the under age womans teams will need to take a leaf out of their senior teammates if they are to have any chance of doing anything in the up and coming Play –Off Finals.

FURY WOMAN SINK SAINTS WITH 16 POINT WIN

CLARK ERIKSSON FURY 54 ST.MIRREN BC 38

Scottish National Basketball League  Senior Woman

A 20 point performance from the ever improving 19 year old Laura Nimmo was the cornerstone of a great away win for the Falkirk side against what is recognized as one of Scotland’s most consistent womans programs – St.Mirren. Its been a couple seasons since the Clark Eriksson womans team have managed to put a W on the board against the Paisley club but this was a match Fury dominated, winning every quarter and looking very comfortable throughout. Fury’s young side with an average age of 20 yrs were a step sharper in every aspect of defence and offence. Playing a match-up zone, Fury closed down Saints perimeter threat and protected the basket well with some excellent rotations. While Nimmo was Fury’s big scorer, this was a great team win with all 12 players contributing and getting court time , with no player playing more than 25 minutes.

The opening quarter saw Fury pull clear with 11 of their 14 points from Nimmo who was just too strong and quick for the Saints defence. The second period saw former Saints player, Kerri Marshall, in her second season with the Falkirk side open the scoring followed by great work on the boards from 17 year old 6ft 1” centre Nikoline Laidlaw who took Fury clear by 6 points. Back to back baskets from 19year 6ft centre Hannah Murray and then a great outside basket from captain Jen Gallacher had the Buddies on the ropes as they failed to penetrate Fury’s tough defence. A 13-7 second quarter gave Fury an 8 point half time lead. That moved to 13 by the end of the third as Nimmo who opened up with 3 straight baskets – Laidlaw with two big inside baskets and Marshall with a long range 3 were cruising against their opponents. The final period saw 16 year Shannon Flippard who had controlled the point with teammate Ailie Gardiner get points on the board as did Kim Bunyan, Alicia McFadden and Jenna Beattie – all working tirelessly in defence and holding Saints to 9 points in that final stanza.

Fury coach John Bunyan was deleighted with the win which keeps the woman in 4^th spot in the league and with a 46% shooting percentage from the floor on the night, holding Saints to a miserly 38 points, the win gives a great boost to the young Fury side.

QUARTER SCORES

14-12   13-7   14-10    13-9

Scorers:

Laura Nimmo 21 points        9 rebounds

Nikoline Laidlaw 7 points   10 rebounds

Jen Gallacher 6 points          6 rebounds

Hannah Murray 4 points

Jenna Beattie 4 points

Kerry 4 points

Alisha 3 points

Kim Bunyan 2 points

Shannon Flippard 2 points

Ailie Gardner 1 point

FURY REIGN SUPREME AT 12 -0

CLARK ERIKSSON FURY 80 DUNFERMLINE REIGN 52

Scottish National Basketball League             Senior Men

A 48 -24 first half scoreline saw Fury cruise to their 12th consecutive league win this season and as well as staying undefeated remain at the top of the Scottish National League. Nearest challengers Edinburgh Kings who Fury defeated at the Mariner Centre earlier in the season also swept to victory, easily disposing of Troon Tornadoes  to stay on one loss. Fury secured their victory on the back of a solid defensive performance and for the first time this season played extended periods of zone defence which caused too many problems for a poor Fife side.

With starting point guard and centre not available for Fury, captain Keith Bunyan stepped up his game and showed why he was once one of the top 3 point shooters in the pro BBL. Bunyan hit five 3’s  playing limited minutes and hitting a game high 22 points.

A 21-9 opening quarter saw Scotland star Scott Russell hit over half Fury’s point with 11 personal. Fury’s other starters, Frenchman Walter Lubeigt, Bunyan, Richard Thorpe and 6ft 10 centre Stuart McKay also all got on the scoreboard as Fury ran their half court offences to good effect. The second saw Keith Bunyan hit 14 personal with 4 threes as he Russell and 6 from Bryan Munnoch saw the Clark Eriksson side scoring at will. The third quarter saw Bunyan and Russell close out the game as it went beyond 30 and a fourth and final period saw Fury sit all their starters and run a group of players under 20yrs of age and still maintain their extensive advantage. Teenagers Daniel Chok, Craig Malcolm and 6ft 8 Ross Gibson all put points on the board as the Falkirk side took the match by 28 points.

Fury Headcoach John Bunyan told Heraldsport “ This was an important game after our xmas break and the players showed they have not lost their desire to take the league title. The team was focused and played for each other. It was always going to be a slightly different dynamic playing without Jonny and the players showed they are capable of playing through this spell with solid numbers and performances. We were 46% from the field; 33% from three point range; had only 8 turnovers, 36 rebounds and a huge 24 assists. Bryan Munnoch as well as hitting double figures completed a good game with 7 assists and that is what we wanted all our guards to step up with Jonny out. We also had 22 points from the bench was very encouraging, however, Stuart McKay picked up an injury in the 3^rd quarter and did not complete the match so its worrying that yet another of our 6ft 10 players may be out. Our game this week against the Rocks will be a tough test as they stayed in touch with us for quite a bit of game one but if we can get through it we know the following weeks game against St.Mirren away from home will be key to the whole season”.

QUARTER SCORES

9-21   15-27    14-16    14-16

Scorers

Keith Bunyan 22

Scott Russell 16

Bryan Munnoch 12

Richard Thorpe 11

Walter Lubeigt 5

Stu McKay 4

Daniel Chok 4

Ross Gibson 2

Craig Malcolm 2

Ross Munnoch 2

This Friday Fury Men play Glasgow Rocks Scottish League side at the Mariner SC. Tip off is 8pm and spectators are welcome.

Happy New Year and 2012 Highlights

 

CLARK ERIKSSON FURY BC wish the many connected with our organisation a great 2013 and here are some of the many highlights from 2012.

 

FURY 2012 HIGHLIGHT REEL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE TOP TWENTY !!!!!!!

 

 

JUMP2IT

200  p6/ p7 boys and girls compete at Grangemouth SC in the SSF/Rocks – Fury/Active schools JUMP2IT  regional finals – Comely park, Kinnaird, Laurieston and St. Margarets qualify for final 4 in Glasgow in February where St. Margarets take the Falkirk title

 

20 YEARS

Fury celebrate 20 years in Scottish basketball and during that time have gone from 1 to 12 teams competing in national and regional basketball

 

RJM SPORTS / SPALDING

Fury sign 3 year deal with local Falkirk sports shop RJM Sports and Spalding USA to become the first club in the UK to be sponsored by the American giants of basketball

 

11-12 SEASON FINISHES

Fury men finish runners-up in all 3 major Scottish competitions – the league –cup and play-offs – the JM lose the play-off finals by a point as do the u12's in the east/central regional leagues where fury's u16 boys take the title on the back off a 30 point performance from Lithuanian Eddy Leginus

 

FURY IN FRANCE

An end of season invite to France saw Fury's junior men play a series of tough games in Guipavas, Brest, at the Gars Du Ruen International Club Tournament. Fury were the first British side to have played in the competition which included sides from Germany and Serbia.

 

SCOTLAND MEN V THE AULD ENEMY

Current and former Fury stars Ali Fraser, Jonny Bunyan and Scott Russell represent Scotland Men in a challenge match against England on BBL Cup final day.

 

AWARDS

Neil Connell is voted East/Central Coach of the Year and John Bunyan is awarded trophy for "Outstanding Contribution" to Falkirk Active Schools in 2012

 

COLONIAL BASKETBALL USA

Fraser Malcolm is selected for International Colonials team in Boston USA – plays 24 games in North American tour

 

INTERNATIONAL BASKETBALL

Fury are well represented in Scotland's National teams throughout a summer of European competition –

U12 boys – Ben McGinley – Sweden (all star 5)

U13 boys – Owen Martin – Sweden

U13 girls – Emma Norval, (all star 5)

 Carmen Tran – Sweden

U14 boys – Daniel Tran – MVP – home internationals, Edinburgh v England and Ireland

U14 girls – Kara McCormack h/I – Edinburgh

U15 girls – Laura Young, Sarah Beattie, Emma Straiton – San Marino

U15 boys – Eddy Leginus – Denmark (MVP)

U16 girls – Shannon Flippard - Gibraltar

U16 boys – Fraser Malcolm – Gibraltar

U18 girls – Ailie Gardiner – Macedonia

U18 boys – Ben Chok, Craig Malcolm – Sarajavo

SW – Former fury stars – Gillian Baird and Mairi Buchan – Macedonia

SM- Scott Russell – San Marino

 

GREAT BRITAIN BASKETBALL

-Former Fury star Kieron Achara selected for team GB men's team and top scores v China with 16 points as GB take a historic first Olympic win

-Former Fury star Ali Fraser top scores for GB U20 team in Euro B in Sofia averaging 20pts per game and hitting 37 against Belgium the highest individual points tally for a Scot in Euro bball

-Mairi Buchan makes final 20 of GB women's squad

-Jonny Bunyan named reserve in GB U20 men's-squad

 

VICKY IS TOP TABLE OFFICIAL

Fury's Vicky McFarlane is selected to officiate at the London Paralympics games

 

ROCKS BASKETBALL

Jonny Bunyan completes first season as pro in BBL with Glasgow Rocks and produces some key performances – he re signs for 12-13 as does Kieron Achara for short term before signing in Greece

 

SUMMER CAMPS

Fury run 5 basketball camps throughout the summer with over 200 players attending – development and team camps and coaches from the USA and pro Rocks team in attendance

 

FURY IN FALKIRK HERALD TOP 100 SPORTSTARS

A unique local poll sees Swimming legend Bobby McGregor – World Champion and Olympian take the no 1 slot as Falkirk's top sports star of all time – making it into the top 100 were 5 fury players/officials with headcoach John Bunyan at 41 , Olympian Kieron Achara at 51 , former pro Keith Bunyan at 64, GB and US star Mairi Buchan at 70 and GB and US star Ali Fraser at 99. The magical team Solripe, Bobby Kinzer and coach Kevin Cadle were all highly placed also making 8 bball entries – a great representation in local sport

 

MEGHAN PLUMMER – A TRIO OF ACHIEVEMENT

Fury junior and table official Meghan Plummer is selected for Scotland's Young People's Sports Panel; is a key member of Larbert High School's winning – Scottish Sports School of the year and is selected for UK coach mentor course in Loughborough

 

FURY HOST US KIMBALL UNION

In the summer of 2012 Fury hosted Jonny Bunyan's US Prep School team – Kimball Union – A packed Mariner saw Fury Men defeat the talented youngsters 110 -101. The Kimball side included basketball legend Danny Ainge's son – crew.

 

DREAM MATCH

September sees Fury's Kim Bunyan marry Kings centre Simon Flockhart. The wedding at the Norton House Hotel in Edinburgh saw a truce called on the Fury – Kings rivalry!

 

LARBERT HIGH TAKE SCOTTISH SPORTS TITLE

3 Fury stars – Fraser Malcolm, Holly Moffat and Meghan Plummer were 3 of the 4 pupils on stage with their School head to receive a top National award – the Sunday Mail/ Sportscotland award for the top Sports School in Scotland. Fury BC are also part what is recognised as one – if not the best sports community hub in Scotland which runs at Larbert High School.

 

FALKIRK HIGH SCHOOL LOOK TO THE FUTURE

Fury coaches John Bunyan and Jen Gallacher  are key players in Falkirk high school's new school of basketball where 15 first year pupils receive 5 training sessions per week. The basketball, which includes sessions before the school day starts sees the 15 also work on off court and school work together. The 12 boys form an S1 school team which has already reached the latter stages of the Scottish schools competition – sponsorship from RJM sports and Spalding are other parts of the initiative.

 

FURY HIGHLIGHTS OF SEASON 12-13 SO FAR

-       CLARK ERIKSSON ASSOCIATES – pledge

Another season of support to Fury basketball making it a massive 15 years of  a partnership that has seen the Falkirk company help all the players/officials either simply play/officiate/coach for the club, their country , Great Britain or begin careers/school/college connected with basketball – Clark Eriksson associates with director Jim Toner and his company, colleagues have the longest sponsorship of any basketball club in Scotland , an outstanding contribution to local sport in the community!

-         Sarah Beattie hits 40 points in cadet win in highland

-         Nikoline Laidlaw hits 32 points and grabs 23 rebounds in JW win over Polonia

-Jonny Bunyan and Kieron Achara share 50 points , 29 and 21 against Glasgow Uni as Fury finish 11-0 in first half of season

-         Fury reach 3 of the 6 national semi-finals – the SM,JM and CW but its defeats in them all with the CW losing by a single point to favourites the Rocks

-         Fury shine in development leagues with all 5 teams challenging for top spots

-         jump2it program in 12-13 sees Bankier, Moray, St. Francis and Maddiston primary schools reach final 4 due to be played at the rocks emirates arena this month

 

 

HOPE YOU ENJOYED LOOKING BACK ON 2012 – COULD NOT GET ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT IS DONE FROM PLAYERS –COACHES –FANS-SPONSORS –OFFICIALS CONNECTED WITH THE CLUB BUT HUGE THANKS AND ALL THE BEST TO ALL IN 2013

 

-         Fury continue to be well represented abroad with Kieron Achara, Ali Fraser, Mairi Buchan, Katrina Laidlaw and David Anderson all playing in Europe or the US

-         Fury start futures team with 10 of their best 17-20year old men's players

-         Fury are presented with a signed LA Lakers basketball – Kobe Bryant and all -courtesy of Scott Bryson and his north American colonials side – this will be a key item in fury's 21^st birthday celebrations in 2013.

-         Former fury favorite – Erik Olson – the US shooting guard who took Fury to their Scottish cup title of three seasons ago has been appointed headcoach of  FSU in Iceland and is also the academy director – Olson had a spell in Australia after his term with Fury

-         In national squads to date Fury have 9 players selected to represent Scotland with squads at a number of age groups still to be selected

 

FURY TEAM NEWS

Fury’s 5 other National League sides were all in action last week-end and were also all way from home. The Junior men were the only team to match their senior counterparts with a win when they defeated their future Scottish Cup semi-final opponents Boroughmuir Blaze in the capital.

CLARK ERIKSSON FURY 56 BOROUGHMUIR BLAZE 47

Division1 Scottish Junior Mens League 

Fury led 26-22 at the half in a low scoring affair. Up by as many as 11 Fury were pulled back to 1 but showed their ability down the stretch with a 9 point win.

BEN CHOK 22 POINTS AND 14 REBOUNDS and FRASER MALCOLM 19 POINTS AND 13 REBOUNDS - great double doubles from the Fury pair.

CLARK ERIKSSON FURY 47 BOROUGHMUIR BLAZE 66

Division 1 Scottish Cadet Mens League

Fury were without bigs Lewis Bell and Thomas Hunter and with Scotland star Eddy Leginus barely back from injury this was always going to be a tough game.

ALI MCDERMIDD - 12 POINTS AND 10 REBOUNDS for great double double with EDDY LEGINUS ON 11 POINTS

CLARK ERIKSSON FURY 49 TAYSIDE MUSKETEERS 54

Scottish National League Junior Woman 

Fury u18 woman came out strong in this road trip to Arbroath and led until the final minutes.

Ahead at the end of the first, second and third quarters Fury just came up short at the final whistle.

NIKOLINE LAIDLAW - 21 POINTS 12 REBOUNDS

SHANNON FLIPPARD - 14 POINTS 

CLARK ERIKSSON FURY 47   TAYSIDE MUSKETEERS 56

Scottish National League  Senior woman

Level at the half Fury stayed close till the final minutes when Tayside pulled clear for a 9 point win. Captain Jen Gallacher went out the game injured in the second period and with several players missing Fury were always set to struggle. Poor execution from the free throw line was another negative factor.  

AILIE GARDINER 12 POINTS  LAURA NIMMO 10 POINTS

CLARK ERIKSSON FURY  48   TAYSIDE MUSKETEERS  56

Scottish National League  Cadette Woman 

12 down at the half saw Fury with an uphill struggle but they came close, closing the gap to 8 at the final whistle. Laura Young top scored  with Sarah Beattie producing a solid performance after just returning from injury. The cadette woman will need to work hard in training in the next few weeks as they prepare for their Scottish Cup semi-final against favorites –the Glasgow Rocks. 

LAURA YOUNG 20 POINTS   SARAH BEATTIE 16 POINTS

FURY SIGN OLYMPIAN ACHARA

In a surprise move Clark Eriksson Fury have signed their former star- GB Olympian Kierion Achara. The 29 year old Achara who played for Fury as Junior before going to College in the States was playing for British Pro League team – the Glasgow Rocks and had just come off two 20 plus points games on the road with the Rocks  against Plymouth Raiders and Surrey Heat . The wins had pushed the Rocks up the BBL table but Achara did not renew a month to month contract he was working on with the Emirates Arena based side. Achara who top scored for Great Britains Mens team against China in the London Olympics this summer was seen as one of the best players playing in the BBL. Last season Achara played in the second top league in the world – the Spanish Leagues ACB with Assignia Manresa who played the likes of Real Madrid and Valencia, so stepping back in time this Friday to the Mariner may be a culture shock for the 6ft 10 power forward, but one thing is for sure the fans will give him a warm welcome back and Achara himself as always will give the game 100% and be the perfect role model he has proved to be throughout his 12 years away from the Falkirk club in the US , Spain and Italy. Fury Headcoach John Bunyan explained the reason for Achara’s return – “Kieron has simply signed for us in order he can maintain his training and be game sharp. He could go tomorrow as he is clearly a player who can play at the highest level. He and his family are happy he is having some time in Scotland after being on the road for 12 years. Whether you are playing college basketball in the US or pro basketball a player’s life is very rewarding but at the same time it takes you away from your family and is very demanding, I know Kieron is happy to be spending time at home but he is a pro level player and is keen to be back playing at the highest level he can”

Achara will line-up for Fury this Friday at the Mariner SC in a Scottish Senior Mens National league match against a talented Glasgow University team who boost two Canadians and several Latvians. He will go straigt into Fury’s starting line up and rejoin his former pro Rocks teammate Jonny Bunyan who plays for both sides. 

FURY BLAZE TO 10 IN A ROW

CLARK ERIKSSON FURY 68 BOROUGHMUIR BLAZE 41

Scottish National Basketball League              Senior Men

The focus for Fury had been clear , toughen up the defensive end of their play. While undefeated in the National League and Cup this season the Clark Eriksson side have been involved in some very high scoring games and Fury Headcoach John Bunyan set his players with the task of closing down the opposition while maintaining their own excellent scoring on the offensive end. A 14-12 opening quarter lead for Fury was achieved despite a flurry of technical from their guard Scott Russell which should have seen the home side take advantage of an opportunity to get back into a game they had fallen behind early on in. But poor shooting from the free throw line meant the Falkirk side retained their lead. Indeed Russell had contributed to 5 of Fury’s opening points before he found himself on the wrong side of the officials calls. Jonny Bunyan with 5 and Frenchman Walter Lubeigt completed Fury’s dismal opening offensive quarter. With Russell on 3 fouls Fury went to Frenchman Walter Lubeigt to put points on the board inside.  Sharing 14 points with perimeter shooter Richard Thorpe the two worked well against a struggling capital side who were finding Fury’s tougher defence too difficult to score on. Threes from brothers Jonny and Keith Bunyan completed a 20-7 second quarter for the league leaders who went in at the half with a comfortable 15 point lead at 34-19.

The third period saw Lubeigt and Greek born Greg Foussas get the early baskets as Fury stretched their lead. Scott Russell re-entered the game in this stanza and immediately put up 10 personal for Fury to lead 53-29 and declare the game over. In the fourth Fury ran their entire bench with several younger players – Craig Malcolm, Daniel Chok, Darren Leitch and Ross Gibson finishing the game with Foussas who hit a three in the final minute. Pro Rocks player Jonny Bunyan had earlier hit two threes to complete his scoring in what turned out to be a very convincing Fury win with the Blaze recording less than half the points local league side Portlethan Panthers had managed to put up against Fury in the Scottish Cup. Fury’s French forward Walter Lubeigt top scored on 18 points with pg Jonny Bunyan just missing out on a triple double with 17 points , 11 rebounds and 9 assists. Bunyan who had played briefly the night before in Manchester for the pro BBL Glasgow Rocks continues to be Fury’s key player in controlling their offensive options.

Fury Headcoach John Bunyan told Heraldsport “ This win was important as we are now having to adjust to playing without Roni Gordon our starting centre. He has still not had a full diagnosis and its unlikely he will play again this season. Our other centre Stu McKay was not available so we had a smaller than normal line-up and we coped pretty. We got a good 27 point win, but more important was keeping blaze to literally 10 points a quarter, this was part of our game plan – tougher defence and all the players played their part in this while at the same time, offensively we were not at our best. We survived a blip in the first quarter when Scott got a couple of technicals but I was pleased he put that behind him and had a very strong second half – he is a major part of our team and we need him on the court.”

QUARTER SCORES

12-14    7-20    10-19   12-15

FURY SCORERS

Walter Lubeigt  18

Jonny Bunyan     17

Scott Russell 13

Richard Thorpe 9

Greg Foussas 5

Keith Bunyan 3

Craig Malcolm 3

SCOTTISH CUP QUARTER FINAL ROUND –UP

All Fury’s 6 National League teams were in Scottish Cup action at the week-end and it was to prove a 50% success

rate for the club in achieving semi-final slots.

With the Men winning in Aberdeen late on Saturday, there had already been double cause for celebration as the Junior Men and Cadette Woman booked their places in the semi-finals.

The Junior Men recorded a fantastic win in the capital over rivals the Edinburgh Kings. Coming on the back of a 16 point league defeat at the Mariner , the week before , Fury produced a 23 point turnaround on that scoreline with a 7 point win and a semi-final slot. In a low scoring affair the 58-51 point win was carefully carved out as Fury played the perfect game in making their move in the final few minutes to pull clear of the Kings for good and take the match. In a close first half Connor Martin was outstanding as he racked up basket after basket with Scotland star Fraser Malcolm also in great form. Malcolm showed his class in the second half as he took his team to victory with some great individual plays. But this was a team win with the  7 Fury players who saw court time really contributing at both ends of the floor. Malcolm finished with 24 and Martin on 18.  Fury now play Boroughmuir Blaze in the semi-finals and also in the league this week-end.

The cadette woman continued their return to form with a nail biting 4 point win over Edinburgh’s Polonia Phoenix. Emma Straiton produced her best performance of the season as she led her team to a great home win and a place in the semi-finals against the Glasgow Rocks. Without key forward Sarah Beattie this was also a great team performance as players worked hard on defence and really focused in the tight closing minutes of the match. Straiton led all scorers on 22 with Fury pg Laura Young on 20. 13 year old guard Emma Norval closed out the game for Fury in the final seconds showing great composure beyond her years.

Fury’s other three sides – Senior Woman, Junior Woman and Cadet Men all lost but the womans sides had chances but a mixture of injury and poor execution prevented them from progressing. The Womans side travelled to Tayside where the Arbroath Musketeers were the hosts and after a first half scoreline of 23-20 that saw very poor play from both sides, Fury contrived to play even worse in the third period going behind by 14 and the game literally over. Only a brief run in the 4^th saw the Falkirk side look as though they could turn the game around but basic errors again stopped a possible comeback. With Fury scoring only 2 open court baskets in the third and Tayside 2 in the second it gives some measure of the ineffective offence of both sides. A 59-44 scoreline is one Fury will hope to seriously alter when the teams meet again in Arbroath this week in the league. Captain Jen Gallacher with 13 top scored.

The Junior Woman saw an injury to their point guard Shannon Flippard seriously damage their chances in their quarter final tie at the Mariner. An ankle injury brought the Scotland pg out the game after only two minutes and that gave opponents Polonia Phoenix a definite edge as they took the opening period. Flippard returned to the game in the second period but Fury were never able to get back within touching distance after their poor start. The final scoreline of 74-60 showed there was never more than a couple baskets in each quarter. Nikoline Laidlaw had a double –double with 19 points and 12 rebounds – Laidlaw was one of four Fury shock Scotland squad omissions at the recent National trials, ironically all four having not only high scoring seasons but high scoring quarter finals.

The Cadet Men also suffered injury woes as their top scorer for the season – Lithuanian phenom Eddy Leginus received an injury in training in the build up to the match, putting him on the sidelines. Clearly when your 30 point a game main scorer is out there will be issues and it was on the offensive end that Fury struggled against a Troon team who earlier in the season defeated them in the league. The final scoreline of 71-39 saw only Ali McDermidd able to record any consistent scoring with   points.

FURY TAME THE PANTHERS

CLARK ERIKSSON FURY 111 PORTLETHAN PANTHERS 97

Scottish CUP – Quarter Finals                                  Senior Men

Clark Eriksson Fury mens team were involved in their third 200 points plus game in just over a month when they took the high road to Aberdeen for their Scottish Cup quarter final tie against local league side Portlethan Panthers. The northern side had already disposed of one National League side in Glasgow Storm in the previous round and of course Fury had swamped local league side Gracemount Panthers – “it’s a jungle out there” – 178-38 in their last cup outing , so both sides knew the match was going to be no walkover either way.  When Portlethan put the first points on the board it signaled a never ending basket barrage by the Aberdeen side with Fury having to respond , equal and then suppress them in terms of scoring as neither defence could stop the onslaught of scoring. Panthers looked to be heading for an opening quarter lead until the Falkirk side’s Jonny Bunyan hit 7 straight points at the end of the period to give Fury a 27-24 opening quarter lead. Bunyan who also opened Fury’s scoring with a three amassed 12 of Fury’s opening 27 points and was to prove a key player in the eventual win. The second spell was again a high scoring affair finishing at 32-23 for the Clark Eriksson side and making the half time scoreline  59-47. That second stanza had seen Fury try to pull clear but the Portlethan team had responded well and remained in touch. Jonny Bunyan again top scored for Fury with 13 and sharp shooting Richard Thorpe hit 12, a total that included three 3’s. The third quarter was won by the home side 25-23 making it a 10 point game going in to the final spell. Captain Keith Bunyan got his shooting going in the third with two threes and guard Scott Russell with 4 points and Jonny Bunyan with 5 saw Fury revert to a more guard orientated approach as they were now having to really dig in for a final four place. The fourth saw Fury pick up on their pressing game and the lead broke out to 19 as they looked secure for a win. Keith Bunyan and Richard Thorpe made long threes and Russell, Jonny Bunyan and Bryan Munnoch who had come off the bench tested the Panthers with penetrating play to the basket with Munnoch really adding to the Fury final quarter firepower. While the Portlethan side pulled a couple of baskets back in the final minutes Fury’s 14 point win was in the end convincing but it had taken literally the whole match to make the game secure.

Jonny Bunyan finished the games top scorer on 34 with Richard Thorpe having a big game on 24. Fury had 5 players in double figures, played as a team throughout and in the end were happy with a double digit win.

Fury’s Headcoach John Bunyan told Heraldsport “ This was a tough road game. We never take any team lightly and we knew this would be a test and that proved to be the case. They shot the ball very well and would in my opinion beat many of the current National League sides. They were solid in the guard spot , had great perimeter shooters and played well as a team. From our perspective, I thought our guards did a great job and we shot the ball well from the perimeter also.  This is our third game where we have gone over 100 points but on the defensive end we must evaluate why and how we conceded so many points. That is taking nothing away from the Panthers but we need to address our shortcomings if we are to continue our undefeated run this season in the league and cup. It was good to have Stuart McKay back in the line up and he had a solid game. We were without Greg Foussas who has become key for the team and we are still waiting on the outcome of Roni’s tests re his knee injury. We play Kings in the semi-final away from home just before the Xmas break and with two important league games before that we will have to continue to work hard to book a cup final spot and go into 2013 undefeated in the league”.

FURY SCORERS –

JONNY BUNYAN 34

RICHARD THORPE 24

SCOTT RUSSSELL 18

WALTER LUBEIGT 15

KEITH BUNYAN 11

STUART MCKAY  5

BRYAN MUNNOCH 4

QUARTER SCORES 24-27     23 -32    25- 23     25-29

This Saturday Fury are on the road again in the capital against Boroughmuir Blaze at the Crags SC with a 4.20pm tip.

FURY TOPPLE KINGS IN BLOW OUT!

Clark Eriksson Fury 95 Edinburgh Kings72

Scottish National Basketball League – Senior Men

With both teams at 8-0 in the Scottish Mens League , something had to give and in the 3^rd quarter a 37-18 Fury performance saw the Falkirk side outplay the current title holders and produce superb basketball that now sees them top of the league on their own at the half way point of the season. Fury’s backcourt of pg Jonny Bunyan and 2 guard Scott Russell completely outplayed the Kings Reilley brothers –Lee and Craig. The Fury duo hit 21 and 22 respectively to lead their team with captain Keith Bunyan on 14, a tally that included 9 from 9 from the line. Fury’s European duo of Frenchman Walter Lubeigt and Greek born Greg Foussas were outstanding with 12 and 13 points respectively. Fury who played magnificent team basketball had a structured and composed game plan that despite a game ending injury to their 6ft 10 centre Roni Gordon in the opening minutes they stuck to throughout and were never distracted from their goal of taking this key match.

The game began with the Mariner full to capacity and the Kings taking the opening two baskets to go 4-0 up. A long range 3 from Fury’s Jonny Bunyan brought the match to 4-3 and after further exchanges in the opening two minutes the game seemed poised to be a close affair. However a game ending injury to Fury centre Roni Gordon just three minute from the start with Fury leading 9-8 seemed certain to turn the game the capital side’s way. An accidental collision with a Kings player saw Gordon taken out the hall by paramedics suffering a serious knee injury. After a 15 minute stoppage the game resumed with the Kings going 10-9 ahead but a long range three from Captain Keith Bunyan settled the Fury team who never lost the lead from that point on in an amazing match that will go down as one of Fury’s greatest ever wins at the Mariner. A three from Scott Russell gave Fury a 19-18 lead at the end of the first and a 22-18 second quarter in the Clark Eriksson side’s favour gave them a 5 point half time lead. During the second second stanza Fury had been hot at the free throw line with 8 points and threes from Jonny Bunyan and Richard Thorpe had been key in the Fury half time lead. But it was the third quarter that suddenly saw the game take on new dimensions as Fury hit an amazing 37 points. With Kings Latvian Edgars Rekis also out of the game through injury, the Kings had suddenly lost any advantage they had with Gordon going out. The game became a more perimeter based affair with only Simon Flockhart picking up anything inside for the Kings. Fury on the other hand took the game to the Kings with penetrating moves to the basket and an even bigger number of shots from the free throw line as the Kings team and bench slumped into a period of indiscipline and lack of ability to control Fury’s guards. Keith Bunyan was the benefactor of the Kings disarray hitting 9 from 9 from the free throw line. Scott Russell added 8 personal with points also from Frenchman Walter Lubeigt, Jonny Bunyan and Foussas.  A 5 point lead had suddenly become a 24 point lead with a quarter to play. With Lubeigt and Keith Bunyan in foul trouble Fury had still to play with resolve, particularly after Kings started the quarter on a 10-0 run and the lead was cut to 14. But the Falkirk side didn’t panic and played through this spell to soon get the difference back out to 20 and finish 23 point winners and still undefeated in the league.

With Richard Thorpe on 9 – Fury literally had 6 players in double figures- an indication of their great team basketball performance. The team shot 24 from 27 from the line and also had a solid performance from Bryan Munnoch off the bench. Kings top performer was their centre Simon Flockhart on 21as he battled inside to keep Kings in touch.

Fury Headcoach John Bunyan praised all his players who were on court , his whole 20 player squad who trained together for the result and the Fury fans, where at the Mariner for the third home game in a row, it was a sell out, with many standing and the Fury fans once again becoming the 6^th man as they cheered their team home.

Bunyan added “ This was a tremendous result given what happened to Roni in the opening minutes. We had a game plan we stuck to throughout and we controlled the match. Our free throw shooting was incredible at 24 from 27 – a staggering 89% from the line – in particular Keith was outstanding in what are key shots. We made good decisions throughout and our guards controlled the game – Scott and Jonny not only put up big numbers but they played great defence and this was key also to our win . Our Europeans – Greg and Walter play extremely well together and with Richard and Keith as ever dangerous from the perimeter it was a team performance with Bryan Munnoch also adding to the overall performance that sees us at the top on our own. “

 

SCORERS

SCOTT RUSSELL 22

JONNY BUNYAN 21

KEITH BUNYAN 14

GREG FOUSSAS 13

WALTER LUBEIGT 12

RICHARD THORPE  9

BRYAN MUNNOCH 2

QUARTER SCORES   19-18    22-18    37-18    17-18 

 Fury players and fans will all be hoping big man Roni Gordon will recover from what is a serious knee injury and is currently receiving treatment for the injury .

FURY 1-2-3

With Fury senior men defeating Stirling Knights 96-53 , Fury u16 men defeating Tayside 56-38 and despite the u18 team losing to Tayside 86-66, the Clark Eriksson sponsored club now top the Senior Mens League, lie second in the Division 1 Cadet Mens League and 3rd in the Division 1 Junior Mens League - a 1-2-3 with almost half the season complete that make Fury the best club overall in Scottish Mens basketball standings and the only one with teams in the top three of all leagues.
Fury’s cadet men now hold second spot in the National League on their own after a convincing win in Arbroath against Tayside Musketeers. An 18 point win saw the Falkirk side always in control and 31 points from Fury’s Lithuanian phenom Eddy Leginus was the cornerstone for the win. A double double from Scotland International Ali McDermidd with 12 points and 16 rebounds reflected a great personal game for the athletic forward.
Fury’s junior men dropped to third in the league with a 20 point loss to the Musketeers. Still a single figure game in the fourth Fury stayed close but could not hold on down the stretch to the home side. Connor Martin and Fraser Malcolm top scored on 20 points apiece for Fury but it was from the free throw line that Fury failed to make an impression going an incredibly bad 1 from 14. Down 15 at the half the Clark Eriksson side reduced the gap to 6 going in to the final stanza but were unable to maintain this momentum.
Fury woman lost 64-49 against league leaders the Glasgow Rocks but were in contention literally until the final minute. Despite a solid 71% from the free throw line and outrebounding the Rocks with 33 boards, Fury committed 20 turnovers many unforced and allowed the Rocks to maintain an early first quarter lead. Pressure defence by Fury meant they stayed in touch and with 13 points from Laura Nimmo they had a player who never allowed the Rocks to rest.
Fury junior woman lost 70-53 but this is hard to understand given Fury took an incredible 53 boards to the Rocks 33 and shot a stunning 81% from the line – 17 from 21 ! So were did Fury go wrong? Leading at the half after a superb opening quarter and a solid second Fury suddenly went into freefall with a shocking 27% from the field compared to the Rocks 54%. With star point guard Shannon Flippard in foul trouble, the Falkirk side struggled to direct their offence and with foul trouble also taking its toll Fury lost their grip and the Rocks ran out double figure winners. Nikoiline Laidlaw was superb with 25 points and 12 boards with former Scotland star Emma Murray showing a great return to form after injury with 12 points and 10 boards. Flippard also chipped in with 12.
The cadette woman went down 60-50 with Scotland International leading the way with 26. A tight game saw Fury suffer from a poor third quarter and despite staying close in the fourth the Rocks on their home court were just too good. Kara McCormack had a great defensive display and Lisa Carlow continued her good form at both ends of the floor. Emma Straiton chipped in with 10 but this was once again a game that Fury should have done better.

Week-end matches –
Saturday is full of basketball action at the Mariner with the Cadette Woman opening the 4 game bonanza at 1.50pm against Highland. The u16 and u18 Mens Division 1 matches follow against Troon and at 7.20 pm the Senior Woman have a late night affair against the capital’s Pentland Star – spectators welcome.

FURY IN PEAK PERFORMANCE

Clark Eriksson Fury 96 Stirling Knights 53
SCOTTISH NATIONAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE – SENIOR MEN

Clark Eriksson Fury Senior Men retained their top of the table spot with a convincing win over near neighbours the Stirling Knights. An impressive opening spell saw the Falkirk side take an 11 point lead. Centre Roni Gordon was the first to put points on the board and with 4 free throws from Jonny Bunyan and Scott Rusell all converted, a long range 3 from captain Keith Bunyan and a solid inside play from Frenchman Walter Lubeigt taking the score to 11-0, the home side were forced to call a time out to stop the Fury offensive machine. A further basket from Lubeigt and three straight 2 point plays from what would be the games top scorer – Jonny Bunyan , Fury had made a great start. 22 points followed in the second stanza from the Clark Eriksson sponsored side with Richard Thorpe stealing the show with 17 consecutive points of the 22, that including 4 threes. Half time saw the scoreline at 41-21 and a 20 point Fury lead. While Thorpe had been in fine form, Fury were not at their very best and a more fired up team saw them take the Knights apart with a 33-13 third quarter and a 40 point lead going in to the final period. Kieth and Jonny Bunyan hit early threes with Thorpe making his 5th of the night and then a string of violations by the home side saw Fury rack up 10 consecutive free throws and Rocks pro player, Jonny Bunyan hit a half way line shot right on the third quarter buzzer to give him a 16 point quarter. Bunyan only played a couple of minutes more at the start of the final spell adding a further three and two more free throws to bring his ally to 29 before sitting out the rest of the game. Indeed the Fury side ran their entire bench in that last quarter with teenagers Ross Gibson and Craig Malcolm putting points on the board during this spell.



This was a game that was literally over in the opening when Fury went out to their 11 point lead and were never challenged by a Knights side that struggled to contain Fury’s multi talented side.
With 29 points Jonny Bunyan led the Falkirk side, hitting 14 from 16 free throws for a 87% average, 4 from 5 from two point range and 3 from 5 from 3 point range and with no turnovers this was a very solid performance from the 20 year old. Richard Thorpe with that sensational second quarter tear of 17 consecutive points rounded up his total to 20 in what has been his best performance of the season. Walter Lubeigt was also once again a key player for Fury and is having one of his best season’s ever for the Clark Eriksson side. Fury Headcoach John Bunyan told Heraldsport “ There were some great individual performances and some not so good. The reality is we played


excellent team basketball when it mattered, in particular that 11-0 run at the start of the match really killed off the Knights chances and we stepped up our game in the third with that 33-13 scoreline and I was happy the way our players off the bench performed in the final period, in fact all our 12 players scored in the game. Clearly there were some great individual performances with Jonny, Richard and Walter playing great basketball. We lead the Kings with now only a 5 point for and against basket difference and we remain with


the Kings the only undefeated teams in the league. The match against Troon on Friday, who sit third after defeating St.Mirren will be our toughest to date and with the Kings the following week – both home matches this will be an 8 day spell that could very well decide the league. I hope there will be as many fans as we had in our epic game against St.Mirren a couple of weeks ago as there was no doubt the noise really helped us pull through that match”.

QUARTER SCORES
8-19 13-22 13-33 19-22

SCORERS
Jonny Bunyan 29
Richard Thorpe 20
Scott Russell 8
Keith Bunyan 6
Craig Malcolm 6
Roni Gordon 6
Walter Lubeigt 6
Ross Munnoch 4
Greg Foussas 4
Bryan Munnoch 2
Ross Gibson 2
Daniel Chok 1

THIS FRIDAY FURY MEN PLAY TROON TORNADOES AT THE MARINER SC TIP OFF IS 8PM
SPECTATORS WELCOME ADMISSION FROM 7.45PM

FURY COMPLETE TREBLE OVER ST.MIRREN

Clark Eriksson Fury u18 82 St.Mirren 48
Scottish National League Division 1 Junior Men
Clark Eriksson Fury U18 AND U16 Mens teams made it a great treble of Scottish National League wins and boosted their own league positions.
The junior men saw their 82-48 win at home against Saints confirm their second placed spot in Division1. 16 year old Fraser Malcolm was the games top scorer on 33 points and the 6ft 5” forward who earlier in the year played for the International Colonials team in Boston USA showed why he is such a great prospect with a variety of baskets and some great defence. Malcolm was not the only Fury player to shine in what was a great team performance. 17 year old Scotland Junior Ben Chok played his best game of the season with some excellent post play and nice perimeter shooting. Chok has clearly the best post plays in the league and his increased bulk has taken him to a higher level near the basket. The season’s top scorere Connor Martin had to be content with 16 points as Fury coach Keith Bunyan gave his bench extended minutes against one of the weakest St.Mirren junior teams seen in years. That does not take away from the fine Fury performance, Saints do sit mid table but Fury were a cut above the Paisley side not just in individual play but also team play. Fury’s trapping defence forced turnover after turnover and their set plays were well executed. 6ft 8” centre Rory Wilson came off the bench and made a great contribution showing his development is moving well with Kenny Makustra, Lewis Bryce and Ian Rooney making solid contributions. The coaching team of Keith Bunyan and former Panathinaikos player Greg Foussas has given Fury a real prospect of a junior title this season but they face their biggest test to date this Saturday in Arbroath when they face the team above them – the Tayside Musketeers. Fury will need to be solid at the guard spot, continue their uptempo style and take advantage of their better inside game.

CLARK ERIKSSON FURY 67 ST.MIRREN 60

Scottish National League Division 1 Cadet Men
A shaky start – a feature of Fury’s under 16 team saw them come from behind to take a deserved win over their Paisley rivals, Sitting second in the table, the Falkirk side knew a win was a must against a mid table St.Mirren side if they were to keep their title challenge on track. High scoring Lithuanian Eddy Leginus, Fury’s outstanding cadet prospect struggled to find his form in the first half and Fury generally failed to find any kind of rhythm as Saints clearly felt they could provide an upset at the Mariner.
It was not until the second half that Leginus and Fury got going and took what turned out to be the lead for good in the third quarter. Leginus hit 21 of his 25 points in the second half with Scotland colleague Ali McDermidd on 16. Daniel Tran who still has a further year at cadet had a impressive display with 15 points. Ryan Weir produced some solid basketall of the bench with bigs Thomas Hunter and Lewis Bell coming good also in the second half. Coaches Neil Connell and Bryan Munnoch will need to look at the team starting more positively when it comes to key top of the table clashes as there is little doubt there is a title in this group of players also.
Like the juniors the cadets are in Arbroath this week-end – always a team who play much better on their home court2

200 POINT EPIC FURY WIN

CLARK ERIKSSON FURY 103 ST.MIRREN 97 Scottish National Basketball League Senior Men

In one of the highest recorded aggregate scores in the history of Scottish Basketball, Fury produced a stunning finish to edge out their Paisley rivals and stay top of the Senior Mens National League. A sell out crowd , who were one of the key factors in this win, produced a barrage of noise for almost the entire fourth quarter with the game poised at 79 apiece.
It was a combination of experience and youth that saw Fury’s Bunyan brothers net over half the Falkirk sides points between them with 20 year old Jonny Bunyan scoring 28 and 35yr old brother veteran Keith hitting 24 points. The current and former pro players were in unstoppable form and on the night their teammates also came to the shooting party with Frenchman Walter Lubeigt and guard Scott Russell key figures in the 103 point haul. Greek forward Greg Foussas produced the defensive performance of the game when he eventually shut down the games top scorer, Saints Nick Collins.
With Saints already having lost to the Kings and Blaze, their chances in the league very much depended on getting a result at the Mariner. The last time the two teams had met was in last season’s Scottish Cup Final when the Saints pulled off , what was too many a shock win over the Clark Eriksson sponsored side as Fury had taken both the season’s league encounters. An early Scottish Cup exit this season by holders St.Mirren –courtesy of the Edinburgh Kings last month meant Saints focus was now the league. An exciting start saw both teams finding the net early with Saints in particular showing their shooting touch was definitely on. Saints like Fury and indeed the Kings boost a Headcoach with two of their sons in the starting line-ups and 20yr old Fraser Glass lit it up early with 3 threes in the opening stanza. Fury’s Keith Bunyan replied with two of his game total 7 threes in that period, but it was solid team basketball that kept Fury in touch in that hot Saints start. 28-26 Saints led at the end of the first and if the pace could continue the 200 point barrier was sure to be broken. The second spell saw Keith Bunyan and Richard Thorpe share 4 more threes and Lubeigt and Russell produce some great plays that gave Fury the edge in the second and a 1 point half time lead at 52-51. The crowd were now sensing that this was to be a special match and the third proved no different from the opening two quarters with Saints edging it 28-7 to tie the game. Captain Keith Bunyan hit a further 2 threes in this phase with Jonny Bunyan starting to move his game up a gear with 11 personal. The final quarter saw a tense and exciting conclusion with the crowd bringing Fury home. Local Real Radio DJ Ewan Cameron was among the 300 fans who were really getting behind their team and bringing the noise levels to new heights in the Mariner. The one constant for Saints in the first three periods had been Nick Collins, one of an incredible 18 Scotland Internationals who were part of both teams. Collins as usual had been deadly around the key and had amassed an incredible 28 points in the first three quarters despite various defensive efforts to stop him. But with the game still in the balance and 8 minutes to play Fury coach John Bunyan deployed a much used Fury tactic of box and one defence on Collins, in other words 4 players playing a box zone with one players playing man to man on Collins and it was Greek Greg Fossas, recognized as Fury’s best defender who was given the role of closing Collins down. The frustrating defence saw Collins score only 4 more points and Fury’s Lubeigt, Russell, Jonny and Keith Bunyan continue to add to their totals. Lubeigt and Keith Bunyan with his 7th three got the early points with Jonny Bunyan nailing 7 free throws down the stretch. But it was crucial back to back driving lay-ups from the tenacious Russell that broke Saints in the final minutes and took Fury clear to a dramatic 6 point win.
Fury Headcoach John Bunyan told Heraldsport – “ This was probably the finest game ever in the Mariner, the standard of execution from both sides was exceptional, both sets of players were actually playing in the main strong defence but the finishing from all on court was superb and what an advert for Scottish basketball. No one present would not want to come back to another match and we have the players to praise for that. The game was played in a very sporting manner and with stats like 53% from the field , 18 assists and only 9 turnovers we know we played as a team throughout. Our free throws were very poor in the first half and we could have had a decent lead at the half if we had executed at the line like we did in the second half. Keith continues to be in great form from behind the arc and Jonny got 28 points from a variety of ways that makes it difficult for teams to close him down. Scott finished the game with two great baskets and Walter had his best game of the season at both ends of the floor. The other players we used Roni Gordon, Richard Thorpe, Bryan Munnoch and Stu McKay played their part with Greg really stepping up and many would say his contribution won the game for us- a key win that keeps us on top, ahead of the Kings on basket difference which could be relevant at the end of the season. I would ask all the fans who were at what may have been a record attendance against Saints to come to the Peak in Stirling this Friday when we play the Stirling Knights – they are in good form and it should be an exciting match. Our fans were one of the key elements in our win and we want that same support this Friday”

This Friday at the Peak Leisure Centre in Stirling Fury play the Knights with an 8pm tip.

SCORERS V ST.MIRREN

JONNY BUNYAN 28
KEITH BUNYAN 24
WALTER LUBEIGT 17
SCOTT RUSSELL 15
RONI GORDON 8
RICHARD THORPE 6
BRYAN MUNNOCH 3
STUART MCKAY 2

QUARTER SCORES 26-28 26-23 27-28 24-18

Sarah Beattie scores 40 in Highland win

Fury’s under age woman saw the u16 girls in action also in Inverness against Highland and it was a one woman show with the talented Scotland International Sarah Beattie scoring 40 of the teams points in their 86-71 win. Beattie was unstoppable as she scored on Highland at will and was well supported by he teammates. In particular centre Emma Paterson had a solid game with guard Vicky Gray continuing to show what a key signing she was at the start of the season. Gray a talented football player is capable of excellent defence and is further developing her offensive skills. Youngsters Emma Norval and Cara McCormack produced valuable minutes and while Beattie was in a league of her won this was a great team win without starting guard Laura Young and showed that Fury may well still have an interest in the league title. Both the cadettes and juniors are away to Polonia this week-end.
For full details of Fury’s league campaigns visit the Basketball-Scotland website and click on National League where scores, fixtures and more can be seen

Fury cadet and junior men win in highland

Fury’s Junior and Cadet men faced Highland in Inverness in their respective Division 1 matches and with two wins Fury stay in second spot in these leagues. A 61-54 Junior Mens win saw Connor Martin maintain his fantastic scoring form. 26 points from the athletic Martin is his season average and shows what a stand out Scotland candidate he is. Internationals Fraser Malcolm and Ben Chok had 14 and 13 respectively and it was Fury’s pressing game that eventually proved too much for the North of Scotland side. In the u16 match Fury were always in control and Scotland star Ali McDermidd shone above the rest with a 35 point tally in the 76-57 win. Despite being a two key players down, Fury’s bench stepped up, none more so than 14yr old Alex Hall – an outrageous omission from last season’s U13 Scotland team. Hall a very strong player for his age, showed his potential for Fury and Scotland at u12 and continues to be one of the country’s best in his age group. On Saturday afternoon at the Mariner the cadets and juniors play St.Mirren – tips at 1.50 and 3.40 for the juniors – spectators welcome.

Fury woman second spot in national league

In a week-end that saw Fury Basketball Club play a total of 12 games – 5 in the Scottish National League and 7 in the Regional Development Leagues , the Falkirk side produced an incredible 11 wins.
National League Round-Up
Fury Woman got their second win of the season with a closely fought out match in the capital against new team in the League Pentland Star. With no quarter being given by either side the game went to the final seconds with Fury taking the points in a 55-50 scoreline. 18 year old point guard Ailie Gardiner produced her best game off the season with a 20 point performance that included 4 threes. Down a point at the end of the first Fury fought back and led at the half 29-24 with forward Laura Nimmo and Gardiner leading the Falkirk scorers. The third saw Kim Bunyan make back to back baskets and produce some great assists that kept Fury ahead going into the final period. Jenna Beattie another former Fury junior in her second year at senior was finding her touch and with a not 100% fit Jen Gallacher and 16 year old Nikoline Laidlaw keeping the inside offence and defence going, Fury held on for a 6 point win with Beattie getting two of the final three baskets. While the shooting percentage’s were again low – a feature of womans basketball for all clubs in Scotland this season, the win pushed Fury to second spot in the table and this Sunday face up to undefeated league leaders Polonia in the capital.