Storm blown away as Warriors cruise to victory

A combination of poor defence, even poorer shooting, turnovers and a very dynamic home team all added up to one of Storm’s worst set-backs of the season.

The game did not start well for Trilogy-it sponsored Hemel as Leicester scored the first eight points of the contest and it took more then three minutes play before Hemel got on the scoreboard with a three-pointer from Carl Josey, one of only two successful threes in the game for the away side.

Halfway through the first quarter the home side led 14-5 and although Storm fought back to reduce the deficit to just two points with two minutes left, they still finished the period six points down at 15-21.

The second quarter started even worse for the away side as the Warriors went 12 points up after less than three minutes.

A burst of scoring by Walid Mumuni briefly threatened to drag his side back into the game but it was not to be as Leicester went into the dressing room at half time with a nine point lead at 34-43.

Hemel actually started the third period the better of the two teams, with Tom Adorian scoring their first eight points as they tried to claw back the deficit, but Leicester still led by 10 after four minutes.

With two minutes left the home side led by 12 which grew to 14 at 44-58 by the end of the quarter.

Storm had managed just two points in the final five minutes of the period!

With Storm still struggling to score, the home side’s lead just kept growing as the final quarter began and with Hemel scoring only four more points in the first five minutes, Leicester’s lead grew to more than 20 for the first time.

Storm at least managed to keep the deficit from increasing any more as the hooter went on a comfortable Warriors win 79-59.

Adorian led the Hemel scorers with 22 hard earned points followed by Walid Mumuni with 10 and Simon ‘Spud’ Kearney with seven.

Carl Josey got six, Damian Edwards and Michael Darlow added four each and Adam Rickwood, Kenroy Wood and Tigan Mohammed two apiece to round off the Hemel scorers.

Acting head coach Jon Burnell was philosophical: “Sometimes this sort of thing just happens it seemed at times like there was a lid on the basket.

“No individual player played well for us which is unusual for us.

“We’ll turn it around in practice this week.”

Storm’s last game before the Christmas break is at home at Sportspace this Saturday (December 20), tip-off 7pm against the Manchester Magic in a National League Division One game.

Tickets and more information can be found at www.stormbasketball.net