SBC Cup report: St Mirren 73-59 Flyers

A strong second half performance from St Mirren U16 Men saw them lift the SBC Scottish Cup after a 73-59 win over Grampian Flyers in Paisley.

Stephen Hamilton got the game going with an early three-pointer for the home side. Ross Grant (15 points, 27 rebounds) shot one of two free throws to record the first point for Flyers. Ewan Richardson (27 points, 8 rebounds) notched four early points as both teams traded baskets.

A Euan Birch (18 points, 15 rebounds) three saw St Mirren go up by five, which is how the first quarter ended as Flyers’ Ahmed Nasr (12 points) and Grant cancelled out further baskets from Birch & Richardson. 15-10.

Jack Stratton closed the gap to three points two minutes into a low-scoring second quarter. The basket was the start of a 7-0 streak for Flyers as they took the lead for the first time before Birch tied the game again with six minutes remaining.

Joe Reade converted a free throw which sparked a 9-2 scoring run for St Mirren. Hamilton and Alex McLachlan combined as the Paisley-based side raced ahead to a 7-point lead. The advantage was short lived however as Flyers closed out the half with a 9-2 run of their own to tie the game at the half. 28-28.

Flyers once again edged ahead early in the third through Jamie Munro. Richardson and Birch combined for eleven early points as St Mirren built a seven point lead. Grant & Nasr responded with six unanswered points for Flyers as the scoring runs cancelled each other out.

Richardson halted Flyers’ run but Munro quickly responded as it remained a one-basket game. The third proved to be a game of scoring runs with three 5-0 streaks later in the quarter, two in St Mirren’s favour as they established a six-point cushion going into the fourth. 51-45.

Vits Gabrans (10 points) added four early points in the final ten minutes as Flyers returned to within a basket of the lead once again. Richardson & McLachlan kept them at bay, with McLachlan’s three-pointer starting an 8-0 run for St Mirren which killed off the game for Flyers.

They didn’t give up, reducing the deficit to four over the next few minutes, but a late push from St Mirren saw them close the game with a 12-2 run, including six from Birch, as they lifted the Scottish Cup in their home town.73-59.