Basketball: Bantu Burroughs puts on a show as Falkirk Fury win season opener

Thirty-three points from now injury-free Burroughs and 18 points from Adnan Jalil were the big numbers for the Falkirk club as they took a tight 12-point win over the visiting Rocks in the first game of the new season.

Fans were back at Grangemouth SC with the venue packed out for trophy-laden Fury's return toa ction which saw five of their eight Division 1 teams provide some great basketball action.

It was a welcome return for former Glasgow Rocks ace Bantu Burroughs who barely played in season 23-24 due to injury and certainly made his return felt with a stunning showing.

Fury set the pace in the opening quarter, going out to a 25-21 lead. The second saw the visitors edge it by a point at 23-22 for a three-point lead to the Sony sponsored side in what had been an entertaining and high scoring first half.

The third quarter was just as tight with that going 25-24 to Fury and all to play for in the final stanza. Burroughs and Lithuanian Eddie Leginas had led the way for Fury in the guard spots with Jalil and Ziggy Dauksas proving a problem inside to the Renfrew defence.

The final period saw Fury step up their defence and break clear down the stretch for 21-13 fourth period and a 12-point win - the number of points that Fury produced off their bench. Leginas closed out with 14 points personal with Dauksas on 11 points.

Fury edged the rebounding battle with 39-34 and had an amazing 25 score from 28 from the charity stripe - a key part of the Falkirk sides game – their strong ability to penetrate tothe basket.

This was a tough opening game but given they were without several key players it was a solid opening performance, and head coach John Bunyan was left delighted.

He said: “To secure this win was big for us given we had several key players not available, and that's not taking anything away from a good Renfrew side who pushed us all the way.

"We have not had a great build-up to the start of the season with training venue issues and then a significant change in the players who formed our starting line-up towards the end of last season.

"Only Eddie Leginas and Adnan Jalil were in that five. Losing Murray Hendry, who has gone pro in Ireland, his brother Finlay and point guard Ammar Ilyas, who are all now abroad, has really impacted our line-up.

"That said the ever reliable Ziggy Dauksas stepped up as he has done many times with Javon Daniels hitting a big basket down the stretch. Our tempo was pretty good and we locked in on defence in the fourth which was key in giving us the win."

Fury’ senior men now face two teams determined to take the league title from with St Mirren on the road this Friday at the Lagoon SC in Paisley with a 7.45pm tip and then the following week against their main rivals from the past few seasons Boroughmuir Blaze again on the road in what is a tough start to their title defence.