Falkirk Fury under-16s make it a double as they secure SBC Division 1 Championship title

Falkirk Fury’s under-16 cadette women pose with their SBC trophy after securing the league title against Boroughmuir Blaze (Photo: Submitted)

Fury had already defeated Blaze in the Scottish Cup final with both teams going into the last game of the season on an identical 19 wins and one loss record.

The game saw a closely contested contest with great players on show from both teams.

MVP of the Scottish Cup final, Daisy Lawson, started the scoring putting Fury 2-0 up in the opening minute. Then, with Scotland internationals Rachel Dagger and Beth Snedden scoring early on for Fury, the visitors were edging it, with an 11-8 lead.

The teams continued to trade baskets until the end of the first period with Poppy Duncan and Kyla Torance adding four points apiece to give the Falkirk side an 19-18 first quarter lead. With only a minute left in the second period, Blaze had pulled clear of Fury to take the biggest lead of the game at 34-23 on the back of a 15-5 run. Just before the end of the first, the outstanding Snedden hit a two to bring the game to nine in Blaze's favour at the half.

Early into the third period with the score at 38-29 to Blaze, Fury then held Blaze scoreless for five minutes as they went on a 9-0 run with Lawson, Snedden and Duncan all getting big baskets to tie the game at 38 points apiece.

Torrance finished Fury's scoring in the third to make it 42-40 and all to play for.

The fourth period saw Fury's duo of Dagger and Snedden continuing to put points on the board and it was Dagger with three minutes to play and Fury down 60-58 hit back to back baskets to give Fury a 62-60 lead with two minutes to play.

Dagger from the line took Fury to a 65-61 lead when Snedden was fouled, sending her to the free throw line. With 33 seconds of the game remaining there was plenty of pressure to make at least one free throw which she duly did sending Fury to a 66-61 lead and that's how the game finished.

Fury's top scorers were Snedden and Dagger on 20 points apiece with Duncan on 12 points and Lawson and Torrance sharing 12 points. Sophie Cram chipped in with two points in what was a key 16 minutes of court-time with Leila Gillespie and Katie Marrs also providing valuable minutes. Emily Irvine, Isla Jack and Ava Gallacher completed the team on the day. Hannah Johnson, Ruby Hepburn and Nina Hutchison complete Fury's 14-player squad.

Coach Kim Hunter and assistants Shannon Flippard, David Hunter and Rachel Penman were full of praise for their side after the game.

Kim said: “We have had three great games against Blaze this season, and they have been our toughest opponents by far in the league and to have defeated them on three occasions is a testimony to the consistency and chemistry we have in the team.”

Falkirk Fury’s cadette women are now the number one seeds in the final four play-offs and face the Gladiators in the semi-finals in just under two weeks time in Dundee.