BURY Bulldogs consolidated their position at the top of the Ipswich & District Basketball League with a closely-fought win at second-placed BT Lasers. Lasers had been successful when the clubs met the week before, so this was set to be a very competitive game.

BURY Bulldogs consolidated their position at the top of the Ipswich & District Basketball League with a closely-fought win at second-placed BT Lasers.

Lasers had been successful when the clubs met the week before, so this was set to be a very competitive game.

Bury had the better start and were five ahead after six minutes but two 'down-town' efforts from Lasers' John Barton evened things up by the end of the quarter.

Lewis Giles hit six points in the first five minutes of the second to give Lasers a narrow lead, only for Aaron Caldwell to hit 13 personal in a six-minute spell to give Bulldogs a lead of seven at half time.

With Caldwell quiet in the third, Lasers came back into the game. Barton and Femi Ariyo hit 17 between them, which gave the home team the slight advantage of a two-point lead going into the final quarter.

Caldwell hit five points in two minutes to put Bulldogs back in front, but back came Lasers with five from Giles.

Four points from Christian Lyne restored the Bury lead, but he then fouled out with two minutes still on the clock. With Lyne gone and four more Bulldogs players on four fouls, Lasers were kept busy at the foul line.

In a 90-second spell they then missed eight foul shots, and with Caldwell knocking down three out of four for the Bulldogs it was the visitors who went home the happier.

The win puts more breathing space between first and second and realistically the only team that could now catch the Bulldogs are Colchester Veterans.

The Veterans won at Bury in the cup and have to travel there again in two weeks' time, so there is still a lot to play for.

The Veterans made up some ground when they ground out a hard-fought win at home to Holbrook Eagles. With Wayne Smith out injured, the Vets gave a first start to Joe Matthews and he responded very well.

The opening quarter saw the Vets just ahead with Aaron Syrett hitting eight for the home team and Simon Harvey responding with seven for the visitors.

In the second Joe Matthews hit double figures for the Vets while Richard Godfrey kept the Eagles in the game with ten points. Half time saw the scores level, but the second half saw seven lead changes and the Vets just having the edge going into the final quarter.

Eight unanswered points from the Eagles put them back in front, only for the Vets to go on a run of 12 without reply.

With two minutes left the scores were again tied, but a single basket from Cheikh Fall was all the Eagles could manage, while the Vets went to the experience of Matthews to hit twice in succession and give his side the victory.