BLUE Devils player-coach Mike Nichols hailed his side’s team effort after the Bury-based basketball club kept their promotion hopes on track with victory in the play-offs last weekend.

The Championship team, missing Nichols and veteran Stuart Jackson, clinched a 74-71 win in the semi-final against YMCA on Saturday, before securing a 51-50 point victory over previously unbeaten Free City in the final on Sunday. The Devils are now in a good position to gain promotion to the top tier of the MABL.

A delighted Nichols said: “All year we have focused on defence and the old cliche of defence wins championships seems apt.

“I’m proud as these final two games demonstrated how the team has stuck together, overcame adversity and stayed positive to get the two wins.

“If I could bottle and sell the concept of team, then this would be it.”

Needing a victory against YMCA to reach their first-ever final, the Devils started slowly and found themselves 11-0 down after three minutes.

The Devils responded with three-pointers from Jason Knowles and captain Chris Stainton and trailed by just two points after the first quarter.

The second period saw six lead changes and neither team could gain an advantage. Kin Ming Lin hit the target, Phil Stainton found his range and Bart Szareko got inside for buckets to help Bury to a two-point 38-36 lead at half time.

YMCA went on a run, but Bury countered and at 44-apiece, Phil Stainton hit a basket that put Bury ahead again as Bury led 59-52 at the end of the third quarter.

Bury pushed forward and stepped up the defence to hold the second-placed league team to 15 fourth-quarter points while racking up 19 of their own to win the semi-final 74-71.

Phil and Chris Stainton led scoring with 22 and 11 points respectively

The Devils went into the final against undefeated Free City as underdogs on Sunday, but the tough defensive unit of the Bury side matched their rivals point-for-point.

In attack, the Stainton brothers outscored the favourites to take a 17-13 point lead after the first quarter.

Bury scored nine unanswered baskets in the second period, capped off by a three-pointer by Szareko as they held Free City to only six points, to lead 31-19 at half time.

Free City dug deep defensively and upped their scoring rate in the third quarter with only the Stainton brothers scoring four points between them.

Bury’s defence collapsed and faced a two-point deficit going into the final quarter.

The Stainton brothers stepped up a gear with support from Knowles and Ergoli Togo to put Bury ahead 49-48.

Bury pushed the lead to three points with less than a minute remaining but Free City could only manage two free throws as the Devils won 51-50.

Chris Stainton received the Most Valuable Player award following his 23-point haul.