Scintillating Storm blow away Rockets to move top of table
A scintillating Hemel Storm display saw them brush aside league leaders Reading Rockets 99-76 to become the only remaining undefeated side in the British Championship Basketball league.
The guests dominated proceedings at Loddon Valley Leisure Centre from the opening minute, closing out a comfortable victory and soaring to the summit of the standings.
Tom Baker’s side have downed any challenge laid before them so far this season, but they’ve not always made life easy for themselves, battling through a few close finishes courtesy of some fourth-quarter heroics.
This, though, felt like the moment a squad packed with quality stamped their authority on the league.
Every man played their part as their relentless energy stifled the Rockets, forcing them into submission with one of the finest Storm performances seen in recent years. It brought back memories of a BCB Trophy semi-final victory at the same arena four years ago, which preceded the most successful campaign in the club’s history.
Victor Olarerin, returning to his old club for the first time, was a man inspired.
Off the back of a game-winning contribution against Yorkshire Dragons last weekend, he was in no mood to leave the outcome of this one to the dying embers, connecting with all of his first seven attempts as he racked up 21 first-half points.
Last season’s BCB British Player of the Year flew to the basket time after time, determined not to be stopped, and balanced that with laser-like long-range shooting accuracy.
“Anytime you go back to one of your old teams, you always want to make sure you perform well,” Olarerin said after the match.
“I think for me personally, it was a bit of a statement game.
“I feel like I’m really settling in well, me and coach are talking every day, we’re starting to get on each other’s page. I’m really starting to enjoy it.”
Jabari Nurse was similarly steadfast in his desire to shape the outcome of the clash, offering Baker immense value on both ends of the floor.
Seven of Storm’s 14 steals came courtesy of the American, and his hard work was rewarded with an array of athletic fast-break dunks.
Storm led the game for all but the opening 90 seconds and came out on top in all of the key metrics, including shooting percentage, rebounds, assists and steals.
Ty Nsangu, also up against his former side, and Brayden Inger commanded the paint, benefitting from an injury to Rockets big man Mo Walker as the visitors mustered 54 points in that area.
Inger was instrumental in stifling any potential second-half Rockets comeback, connecting with a series of important buckets to keep the hosts at more than arm’s length.
As has been the theme of the season, there were critical contributions from Baker’s bench, with Jared Small catching fire from beyond the arc and Kai Walker adding a useful 12 points.
“We spoke about it in our scout this week, we spoke about it before the game,” Baker added.
“Our depth is going to matter throughout this season. Every single player that stepped on the floor was willing to work both ends, and you saw it in how we played.
“I don’t think we could have wished for a more complete performance today.”
Anticipation was high ahead of the clash between the league’s two remaining unblemished sides, and a full house flocked into Loddon Valley to feast their eyes on what was set to be an enthralling encounter.
Few expected that when Olarerin’s driving lay-up put Storm ahead less than two minutes in, their lead would prove unassailable.
Storm’s advantage had reached six by the end of the first quarter, and it extended to double digits moments later.
As always, strong defence laid the foundations for Storm’s success, allowing them to express themselves on the fast break, and a 9-0 run had them 18 points ahead less than 14 minutes into the contest.
A game-ending injury for American Jax Bouknight, picked up while committing a flagrant foul on Olarerin, worsened matters for the Rockets, with Walker limited to 13 minutes as he managed a niggle.
Captain Sam Newman excelled in finding the right pass as he amassed 13 assists, and it was he who picked out Nurse to slam home and give Storm a 59-39 lead at the end of the first half.
Unsurprisingly, Storm were made to weather a Rockets response, with Jaxon Nap not willing to take defeat without a fight.
He helped his side limit the guests to 14 third-quarter points, winning the period by five, but Storm still held a 15-point lead going into the closing 10 minutes.
That was narrowed to 13 with around six minutes on the clock, but Newman and Small nailed shots from long range to extinguish any hopes of a comeback.
Small had some fun at the death, connecting from miles out to extend the lead to 25, before youngster Daniel Kostadinov put the wraps on a 99-76 victory.
Storm’s three-week road run ends with a trip to Newcastle next Saturday, before they return to the StormDome for a double-header which includes a BCB Trophy quarter-final against Yorkshire Dragons. Tickets for that can be purchased via the Fanbase app.
Written by Callum Humphrey