Hemel Storm into cup final in front of sell-out crowd

Taylor Johnson was in great form again for Storm. Photo: Jo Charles.

Hemel Storm have progressed to the National Cup final after beating MK Breakers in front of a record-breaking crowd on Sunday.

With a place in the final at stake, Storm did not disappoint, winning the game 98-93 in front of a sold out StormDome.

The game started slowly with both teams attempting to gain control early on, but two alley-oops in the space of three minutes and three pointers from Taylor Johnson saw Storm race off to a good lead.

However, Breakers’ resilience was a pivotal factor preventing Storm from easy shots, responding with the three-point accuracy of Spencer and Langley.

Storm showed great discipline to extend their control in the game with them ending the first quarter 28-15 up.

Storm showed their dominance at the start of the second quarter, extending their lead to 18 with 3:30 gone. But once again, Breakers were building small scoring runs to constantly apply pressure, which led to moments of misjudgment and miscommunication which saw many turnovers and vital possessions wasted for both teams.

Breakers managed to limit the lead to single figures before a swift response from Storm saw them ahead 55-44 at half-time.

The third quarter saw Breakers apply their game plan to perfection and frustrate Storm and limit them to only 15 points, reducing the lead to 70-66 at the end of the third.

Storm responded well but Breakers continued to show perseverance and determination to get a result, causing some nervousness amongst the Storm faithful.

A layup from Hakeem Sylla forced coach Beddow into a timeout with Storm leading 84-76. The atmosphere was electric from both sets of supporters, who joined together to create a fantastic advert for British Basketball.

With a minute left to play, it looked like Storm were coasting into the final but a lapse of concentration saw MK shoot free throws in a desperate attempt to try and make a last minute comeback.

However, Storm took the victory 98-93, therefore securing their place in the National Cup final against Derby Trailblazers in Manchester on January 22.

Top Scorers: Taylor Johnson 31 points, Aaryn Rai 26, Sam Newman 17.

Storm go to Bradford Dragons on Saturday (14th).