Bury travelled to Tameside with eight players looking to gather another win after their cup success over Bolton last week.

Phil Stainton came out firing, hitting from long range and scoring 10 points in four minutes.

Bart Szarejko, Conor Wilkinson and Dave Avery contributed offensively to extend Bury’s lead.

The visiting defence limited Tameside to only 13 first quarter points to take a 20-13 advantage into the second quarter.

With player/coach Mike Nichols streaking out for easy baskets, Stu Jackson using his inside muscle and Graham Greene utilising his athleticism, Bury hit the basket consistently.

Defensively the visitors limited Tameside’s options and extended their lead to 47-29.

The third quarter was a poor one in comparison, with poor passes and missed shots, allowing Tameside to gather momentum. However, the steady play of Jason Knowles gave some stability and defensive Bury stayed tight, winning the quarter by two to hold a 66-48 lead going into the final quarter.

Bury went on a 12-2 run to extend the lead to 30 points, before Tameside made a run of their own with a 10-3 run.

But it was too little too late for Tameside as Bury finished the game strong for a 87-62 win.

Coach Nichols said: “This game was a challenge. “We knew their strengths and limited their options early with our defence.

“We hit a bad patch but the guys knew how to respond and we dug deeper to maintain a healthy lead.

“I always say defence wins championships and tonight we lived up to those expectations.

“Congratulations go to Phil Stainton for hitting a season high of 39 points.”