Nelson-Henry powers Storm past the Hoods

His battle with Greg Skoric under the basket was always going to be key to the outcome of the game, and taking on the Nottingham big man was a challenge that Nelson-Henry relished.

Determined and battle-ready from the beginning, the former Leicester Riders man put his head down and went to work tenaciously, posting 33 points and seven rebounds.

Engaging with his opposition in somewhat of a dog-fight saw Nelson-Henry at his best, posting up repeatedly and finishing stylishly with his trusty hook shot.

His defence was also excellent, and the man lauded by his coach Mark Clark as the best in his position throughout the whole league proved his worth once more here - the decisive difference between the sides.

It builds on an already tremendous season for Nelson-Henry, growing since his arrival midway through last term and showing himself as a true leader within the squad. On-court he has been vital, reliably performing to a consistent standard and filling the most valuable, and hardest to source, position on the court excellently.

Elsewhere, point-guard and captain Sam Newman had another solid evening with 17 of his own points and 10 more assists, as his playmaking abilities continue to shine.

While Storm were in the ascendancy for the whole of the tie, they had to deal with numerous Nottingham fightbacks and were never in total control of the outcome but had enough to get past their visitors by a reasonably comfortable 11-point margin.

Mark Clark will undoubtedly be pleased with the result which sees them stay in second place behind the Derby Trailblazers, albeit with a game in hand.

Storm meet the Trailblazers, who have lost once so far this league campaign, next week and Clark will be aware his side may need some minor adjustments and improvements to come out victorious in what looks set to be an almighty clash.

Early on, it was Matt Ellis who continued on from last week in giving his team a fast start, seeing them take the first quarter 26-19.

Ellis himself would go on to claim 20 points alongside 12 rebounds, and was another major factor in Storm’s superior presence inside the paint - the 66 points the side mustered from the area 20 greater than their visitors and a clear reason for their success.

The second period was shared, giving Storm a seven-point advantage to take to the locker room, and they quickly stretched that to 14 minutes after half-time as Sam Newman fired consecutive threes.

The lead reached a game-high 15 at one stage, but the Hoods weren’t willing to give in and brought it back to single digits during the final period, to leave a packed StormDome on edge.

However, they had little to worry about come the end as Storm closed the tie out - Matt Ellis controversially dribbling the ball out in the spirit of sportsmanship to leave Storm a tantalising one point away from bringing up three figures - 99-88 the final tally.

Storm travel to Derby next Saturday in a huge NBL Division One matchup, before their National Cup journey continues on Sunday away at London Elite.

Written by Callum HumphreyPhoto by Matt Cook