High Flying Weekend for National Basketball Cup Finals,
9/10 April 2005
Spectators were treated to a weekend full of high flying basketball action as the
best teams in the Country converged on Meadowbank Sports Centre to contest
the finals of the basketballscotland Royal Air Force Careers Junior and Cadet/te
Cup and Senior Cup titles.
On the Saturday it was the stars of tomorrow who battled for the prestigious
National RAF Careers Cups at Cadete/te (under 16) and Junior (under 18) level.
In the first game of the day, St Mirren McaDonalds defeated Arbroath Musketeers
54-48 in a close Cadet Men’s Final. In the Cadet Women’s Final St Mirren
Kingsmill were too strong for City of Edinburgh Kool Kats, eventually running out
43-37 winners.
Saturday also saw the inaugural Scottish Wheelchair Basketball Cup Final fought
out between the Ayrshire Rolling Cougars and West of Scotland. After a game
filled with thrills and spills the Cougars came out winners by 7-points (45-38).
At 4pm, all attention moved to the Junior Men’s Cup. City of Edinburgh Kings
completed their second consecutive unbeaten season with a 73 – 59 victory over
St Mirren Reid Kerr College. The final game on Saturday saw St Mirren Reid Kerr
College take on City of Edinburgh Kool Kats in the Junior Women’s Final. St
Mirren maintained their unbeaten record for the season, winning 72 – 58.
The Sunday was Senior’s Day and started off with the Chairman’s Women Cup
Final between Grammar Greywolves and Pentland Star. Pentland eventually took
the cup by 7 points, running out 65-59 winners. In the Chairman’s Men Final,
Glasgow Gators defeated Highland Bears by 60 – 52.
In the Senior Women’s Cup Final St Mirren Reid Kerr College and Midlothian
Saints did battle to decide the title. In front by 6 points at the end of the first
quarter St Mirren extended their lead at every change to eventually win 56 to 44.
For the victorious Saint Mirren it was Natalie Chaloner who led the scoring with 15
points followed closely by Angela Taylor who hit 14 on the night. For the runners
up Midlothian it was their captain Leanne Stupart doing the majority of their
scoring with a match high 17 points.
The weekend’s action culminated with the highly anticipated Senior Men’s
Scottish Cup, which saw the City of Edinburgh Kings take on the Team Ayrshire
Tornadoes. With the teams sharing the honours in their two League encounters
this season, the Cup Final promised to be an entertaining affair. In the early
stages it was Team Ayrshire who were quick to steal the ascendancy and they
raced to a 24 – 8 first quarter lead. 9 second quarter points to Kings guard Kevin
Anderson helped to stabilise the Kings but they still trailed by 15 going into the
halftime break. In the second half Team Ayrshire were relentless in executing
their renowned pressure defence and with forward Tom Pearson scoring 13 of his
match high 31 points in the last quarter ran out eventual winners 80 – 63.
When commenting on the weekend, basketballscotland Chairman Bill McInnes
congratulated all teams for “the spirit in which they competed and standard of
play which provided a true showcase of the sport to the basketball community
and general public alike”.
www.edinburgh.gov.uk/futuresport