YOUNG Blue Devils bounced back from a disastrous start to edge out Preston with a last-quarter surge.

They were soon 15-5 down and finished 21-11 adrift at the end of the quarter.

Foul trouble on key players forced the team into playing zone defence in the second quarter which took Preston away from their offensive game and allowed the Blue Devils back to close the half only 32-28 down with Alex Jones and Nick Brown the chief points scorers.

At the start of the third quarter Bury edged even closer at 35-33 but then allowed Preston an 11-0 run, nine of those points scored by Preston’s shooting guard Reeder, including a three pointer.

Bury rallied near the end of the quarter to be 52-46 down including a second three pointer from Jordan Webb, while still never getting into any kind of consistency at either end of the court.

In the fifth minute of the final quarter Bury were still 60-52 down when at last the players woke up and went on an 11-0 run including two threes from Webb and five points from Jalees Siddiq, to lead 64-60 with two minutes remaining.

Preston, desperate for the ball, had to foul and Jones and Webb sealed the game from the free throw line before a late three pointer from Preston brought the score back to within three points.

The next fixture is away to Warrington Jets on Sunday, March 20, tip off 2pm.

Top Scorers: Alex Jones 25, Jordan Webb 14, Nick Brown 10, Jalees Siddiq 9.