Hemel Storm are crowned NBL Division One Champions
Last weekend saw Hemel Storm host the Newcastle Knights on Saturday night, before making the short journey to Uxbridge to face London Cavaliers on Sunday.
Whilst Storm would have confirmed themselves as Champions if they won both their fixtures, a Reading Rockets defeat on Sunday confirmed a second Division One Title in the history of Hemel Storm.
Last weekend saw Hemel Storm host the Newcastle Knights on Saturday night, before making the short journey to Uxbridge to face London Cavaliers on Sunday. Whilst Storm would have confirmed themselves as Champions if they won both their fixtures, a Reading Rockets defeat on Sunday confirmed a second Division One Title in the history of Hemel Storm.
Saturday’s game saw Storm match up against Newcastle Knights in the final regular season home game at the StormDome. The game proved to be a scrappy affair, as Storm struggled to gain a firm control of the encounter. This resulted in the lead changing hands on multiple occasions, before the decisive final quarter which saw Storm win 11-4. In what was an electric atmosphere from a sold out StormDome combined with a low-scoring battle, Storm took the victory as they won 73-68.
This left Sunday’s fixture against the London Cavaliers, which had many different scenarios attached to the game. Whilst Storm would have confirmed themselves as league champions with a victory, celebrations could have commenced prior to the final buzzer if Reading Rockets failed to beat Essex Rebels.
After trailing 49-41 at half time, it soon became apparent that Storm captured the title following a Essex Rebels victory, sparking premature celebrations amongst the travelling faithful. This looked to spur the team on to take the game to overtime. However, a failure to execute on vital possessions during the overtime period led to a 100-93 defeat.
This weekend saw a stand out performance from Tra’Michael Moton, who showcased an exceptional shooting arsenal, which proved influential in both fixtures. After registering 15 points on Saturday, Moton was able to connect on multiple occasions against the Cavaliers as he ended the game with 22 points. He played a key role in Storm’s offense, drawing contact and remaining relaxed under pressure.
Storm were able to show a resilient mentality to overcome deficits in both fixtures. Following a poor start to Saturday’s fixture, the team were able to show great character to overcome their setback - a mentality which has been key to their success this season. Sunday saw a similar mentality displayed, fighting back from a half time deficit to take the lead, before Cavaliers were able to use their experience to take the game to a further 5 minutes.
Whilst Storm may not have performed to their potential, confirmation of their status as league champions will certainly take a huge amount of pressure off the final fixture, as Storm travel to face Bradford Dragons, in a game that Storm would have had to win. However, building a strong momentum heading into the playoffs will be a factor on Mark Clark’s mind, who has instilled a vast amount of discipline into the side since the beginning of the season.
Storm will now head to Bradford Dragons to round off the regular season, before a home leg in the Playoff Quarter Finals awaits. It will be key for Storm to gain control of these fixtures and will thrive off the outstanding home support given by the Storm faithful. Tickets for this fixture are available to purchase on the Fanbase Platform. As this game will be expected to be a sell out, make sure to secure your tickets to avoid disappointment.
Prior to the beginning of the playoffs, Storm also have their Annual Awards Presentation Evening on Friday 11th April, which will be a night of celebrating the achievements of both Mens and Women’s Teams this season. Tickets to this presentation are also available to purchase on Fanbase.