BURY Blue Devils won on their travels with a 95-71 victory at Oxford in the Manchester Area Basketball League
The clash at Wright Robinson in Gorton was close for three quarters as Oxford played to their strengths inside and Bury used their speed and athleticism to counter.
Blue Devils coach Stu Jackson encouraged youngsters Alex Plumb, Omar Abbassy and Callum Brady to use their speed while Ste Graham and Mike Nichols brought their veteran experience to steady the ship when the game got close.
But it was man-of-the-match Chris Stainton who stepped up, both on defence and a sizzling display on offense – the highlight hitting a three-pointer as he was getting fouled.
However, Bury struggled to pull away as Oxford slowed it down and the game was still up for grabs.
Leading by only six with a quarter to go it was another veteran, Darren Butterworth, setting the example with a rebound and an assist to light the fire for Bury.
Their energy levels now at a high, Bury continued to stifle the opposition in defence while exploiting the weary Oxford defence, finding the open man, usually Stainton who top scored with 40 points, for great shots.
The 35-17 final period in the visitors' favour gave Bury a well-deserved win.
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