2.11.2018: Stirling Knights - Sony Center Fury 60:79
Bulgarian duo – Boris Matrakov (22) and Ivan Ganchev (12) combined for 34 pts as the Falkirk side defeated neighbours Stirling Knights to advance to the Semi-Finals of the Scottish Cup. Fury’s best period of the game was the first quarter where they jumped out to a 32-20 lead with Matrakov and former Scotland guard Bryan Munnoch sharing 19 of the last quarter points –the Bulgarian hitting 13 personal in total in that impressive first period. The second the saw Matrakov’s countryman – Ivan Ganchev lead the Sony sponsored side in the second with 10 personal in a disappointing period for Fury that saw the teams tie the quarter at 19 apiece.
Matrakov continued his scoring in the third and fourth as Fury sought to close down the Knights offence, holding them to 15 and 6 respectively. However Fury’s own offence never matched the flow of the first half, particularly that opening period with Austrian Adam Hammerschmidt (3 threes) and Munnoch sharing 22pts –the only other Falkirk players in double digits. Off the bench Lithuanian Evaldis Burksaitis worked hard on the boards, with Bantu Burroughs 7pts and Ross Gibson 6pts also contributing well for the win.
Fury will once again be pleased with the number of bench points – 35pts, given that their Lithuanian brothers, Zygi and Kornelius Dauksas were not in the game.
Fury Men now look certain to play Dunfermline Reign in the Semi-Finals and the win over the Knights means both Fury senior teams are in Scottish Cup Final 4, with the woman going through to meet Edinburgh Kool Kats.