It’s nice and three-sy for rampant Hemel Storm

It was raining three-point shots in Newcastle on Saturday night as Hemel Storm connected on 14 long range efforts from 24 attempts to down an in-form Team Northumbria 100 -73 in a National League Division One clash.
Hemel Storm captain Simon Kearney sank four of his five long range three-point shotsHemel Storm captain Simon Kearney sank four of his five long range three-point shots
Hemel Storm captain Simon Kearney sank four of his five long range three-point shots

Hemel skipper Simon Kearney hit a four threes from five shots on his way to a 26-point haul in a second half blitz that left the home team reeling and ballooned Storm’s half-time six point edge into a 27-point victory.

Northumbria went into the game on the back of a stunning 90-63 win against Tees Valley the previous week and started confidently.

The teams were evenly matched, ending the first quarter with 22 points each, before Hemel’s star guard Bode Adeluola took over late in the second stanza and proved unstoppable on penetrating drives to the basket.

Hemel moved into a 47-36 lead, before improved perimeter defence and inside scoring by the home team’s Jack Wilson helped close the gap to 49-43 at half-time.

Hemel head coach Steve Darlow adjusted his team’s defensive tactics to stop the opponents’ inside play, while Carl Josey and Kearney nailed nine points from long range efforts from the re-start as their team put on a 14-2 spurt and began to dominate the game.

Going into the fourth quarter, all of the Storm players had been on court and their slick, passing offence, accurate shooting and controlling defence had helped to open up a 79-58 advantage.

A late Northumbria run improved their points tally from a 95-64 deficit but nothing could stop Hemel chalking-up their first Division One win of the campaign.

“We needed to make some defensive changes at half-time,” said a delighted Darlow. “But the work we’ve been doing in practice on offence obviously paid dividends and I can only see us getting better.

“We had 18 assists in the game and five players in double-figure scoring which is our best this season.”

Meanwhile, Storm’s U18 squad stay top of the Youth National Premier League (south) despite a narrow 69-61 loss in Newham on Sunday to the unbeaten Youngbloods.

Storm were without key England squad player Brad Wood who is recovering from a shoulder injury.

Although the result was in doubt right up to the final minutes, Storm were outsized and shot unusually poorly.

Related topics: