A week after a 17-point loss to Brightlingsea Cossacks in the League, the Suffolk Reserve side travelled back to face the same team in the cup.
Defences were on top early on with the small court making it difficult for either team to finds gaps to score. Rookie Jim Walker led the way for Bury with 7 points in the first quarter which ended with Bulldogs up 15-11.
The Suffolk side changed their defensive tactics in the second quarter to put more pressure on their opponents. This led to several steals and baskets including 8 points for veteran Glenn Collins. By half time The Bulldogs had extended their lead to 32-25.
Both teams started to score better in the third period. Bury looked to put the game to bed, helped by two early steals and layups from Captain Dave Wise, and back-to-back three-pointers from Oliver Cowling, but Cossacks were not giving up and answered with several mid-range jump-shots to stay within single figures as the quarter ended 52-43.
The fourth quarter saw Bulldogs finally create a more comfortable margin. Strong defending restricted Cossacks to just 6 points\ in the quarter and five different Bulldogs got in on the scoring action to extend the margin to 72-49 by the end of the game.
Coach Glenn Collins was pleased with the result: “This is always a difficult place to play and any win here is an achievement, so to win by more than 20 is very satisfying. I felt we were on top for most of the game but Cossacks stayed close until the last quarter so it was never comfortable.”
With the Bulldogs Reserves now 2-0 in the Suffolk Cup Pool Stage, they have guaranteed a first-place finish in Pool C, and a home tie in the last eight against the losers of Bulldogs-Colchester Bulls - who've both booked their places in the last eight already, and are fighting for the top spot in Pool D.
Next up for the Bulldogs Reserves is a home league fixture, as they welcome Felixstowe Thunder to Skyliner on Sunday 4th November, tipping-off at 6:15pm.
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