ST MIRREN Basketball’s Cadet Men tipped off the season away to Stirling Knights and got off to a flier with a 105-52 win.

Saints, who claimed all three trophies last season (league, cup and play-offs) were missing three key players from that historic triumph – Cal Low, Jack Thomson and Ross Pigott who’ve moved to under-18s.

It was one of the old guard, Chris Feeney, who got the scoring started from the free throw line, but a slow Saints start saw a young Stirling team 5-2 ahead before coach Cleary called timeout.

Mikey Irvine got Saints first points from open play with less than four minutes left in the quarter and Saints began to rally.

A series of baskets followed including the first three-pointer of the season from Chris Feeney and Saints went into the break 23-12 to the good.

The early highlight in quarter two was another Feeney three-pointer from just inside the Knights half. Not to be outdone, Robbie Stevenson threw in his own three-pointer as Saints began to flow and the lead started to expand.

Saints began to show the qualities in this quarter that brought them a perfect win record in all tournaments last season and baskets were coming throughout the team including a confident layup from Saints youngest player, 12 year old Euan Birch.

The buzzer sounded with Saints 53 - 25 to the good.

Saints continued to dominate scoring at will at the outset of the 3rd quarter.

Coach Cleary took the opportunity to bench the experienced players and go with youth over the final two quarters.

Knights rallied a little against Saints' smaller players but the quarter still ended with Saints increasing the gap with the score at 77 - 45.

Coach Clearly continued with youth at the start of the 4th quarter. As so often the case last season, Saints’ enhanced levels of fitness allowed them to finish strongly in the fourth quarter. Mikey Irvine scored the 100th point from a free throw with Saints rounding out the match in style.

It was another fine display all round from Saints with 31 points from captain Chris Feeney, 29 for Mikey Irvine and scoring debuts from Euan Birch and Aidan Lamos who made impressive starts to their Cadet careers along with the other rookies Ross Murray and Aidan Lamos.