Storm round off the weekend with two important wins

After Storm’s ability to show resilience and character to recover from opposition momentum on both occasions, this resulted in Storm winning both fixtures.

Saturday’s trip to Reading Rockets saw Storm take a 94-100 victory, in a game which Storm were able to start exceptionally well. Scoring 45 points in the opening 13 minutes of the game was a testament to the methodical approach to Storm, looking to work the ball inside to the aerial presence of Darien Nelson-Henry and Matt Ellis.

Veron Eze also had a standout performance, achieving a double double of 15 points and 12 rebounds. His aggression when driving towards the basket proved threatening to the organised Reading defence, drawing contact. A game changing moment in the fourth quarter saw Eze respond to Storm conceding an and-one with one of his own. His work was not only shown on offence, with all 12 of his rebounds coming from the defensive end of the court.

Sunday’s fixture saw a much more physical affair for Storm, facing an energetic Barking Abbey side who were relegated from NBL Division One last season. However, it was the hosts who started the much better of the two teams, with Abbey playing with energy and accuracy on both ends of the court. Despite Storm going into the first half trailing, the deficit was turned round in the second half, as Storm resorted to a more patient approach to their offence, which resulted in better opportunities for shots to be taken. The last quarter brought out the best in Storm, winning the quarter 15-30, meaning that a comfortable 78-95 victory was secured.

Over the two fixtures, Darien Nelson-Henry was a key source of artillery for the Storm arsenal. His intelligence of which positions he needed to be in resulted in a combined total of 47 points over the two fixtures, with the majority coming from underneath the basket. The patience to find the centre was rewarded as Nelson-Henry was able to draw contact from defenders, which got both Barking Abbey and Reading into foul trouble during the games.

This weekend also saw the return of Trent Monkman, following his knee injury. His contribution also proved vital, contributing to a combined total of 17 points in 23 minutes of play. Gradually building up the minutes of players returning from injury is crucial, with Trent looking to return to the form he was in at the start of the season.

Overall, it was a successful weekend for Storm, with two tough matchups against teams who play at a high intensity. Beating a potential title challenger on Saturday could prove paramount towards the end of the season, alongside the progression in the National Cup in a bid to win their third ever National Cup Title, after successes in the 2017/18 season and the unbeaten 2022/23 campaign.

Storm return home next weekend as they take on the Nottingham Hoods. Looking to build upon their 6-0 unbeaten record in the NBL Division One, Storm will look to also defend their home court in front of the Storm faithful.

Secure your tickets through the Fanbase platform for Saturday’s 7pm tip off against Nottingham Hoods at Hemel Leisure Centre.

Written by Ollie HeathcotePhoto by Nicola C Creative