Storm maintain perfect record with high-scoring win over Hurricanes
Hemel Storm continued their perfect start to the season with a 101-93 victory against Bristol Hurricanes at the StormDome on Saturday.
The win made it four from four to start the league campaign, and eight straight to commence the season in all competitions.
Jabari Nurse top-scored with 20 in another well-rounded display from his side, with Jared Small and Victor Olarerin contributing 19 and 18 respectively.
The Hurricanes, namely Ben Baker-McCann and Pasquale Landolfi who combined for 58 points, provided stern opposition, but it was the hosts’ strength in depth which was ultimately the difference.
With so many options to turn to, Tom Baker’s bench offered him 31 points, while the Hurricanes substitutes only yielded nine, placing greater pressure on the starting five to carry the load.
Storm were able to utilise their options to good effect, rotating based on the requirements of the game situation and, crucially in a close contest played at a ferocious tempo, resting their troops and keeping them fresh for the key moments.
An improved three-point shooting percentage of 39% will be of encouragement, as will the fact they were able to come out of another tight game on the right side of the result.
They edged the first quarter 29-25 courtesy of late conversions from Nurse and Olarerin.
The high-scoring theme continued in the second period, with a 10-0 Hurricanes run seeing them take the front, but Storm responded to regain a three-point lead by the half-time break.
They maintained their narrow advantage throughout the third, but couldn’t fully escape the grasp of a determined Hurricanes side, who were well in the game going into the final 10 minutes, trailing by five at 78-73.
Five consecutive Olarerin points stretched his side’s lead to double digits early in the fourth period, but a Baker-McCann three reduced the margin to two with three-and-a-half minutes on the clock.
But again the home side bounced back and an Olarerin lay-in restored their 10-point buffer, before they eventually claimed an eight-point, 101-93 win.
Baker’s side now take to the road for a trio of consecutive away games, first travelling to Yorkshire next Saturday, before visiting Reading Rockets and Newcastle Knights.
They return to the StormDome with a double-header on 21 and 22 November, taking on Loughborough Riders in the league and then Yorkshire Dragons in the BCB Trophy quarter-final. Tickets for those clashes are available on the Fanbase app.
Written by Callum Humphrey