A double header Saturday awaits as Storm men and women compete to continue strong starts to the season.
This weekend sees the Hemel Storm organisation welcome a double header, with Storm Women hosting East London Phoenix at 4pm before Storm Men play Nottingham Hoods at the StormDome, tip off 7pm. This is the first appearance for the Women at the StormDome this season in what proves to be an afternoon full of entertainment.
Hemel Storm Women have started the season in fine form, having picked up 4 victories and losing 1 to a strong London Elite side. Having retained the majority of last season’s roster, Storm have added further talent with the addition of Susie Stafford, following her graduation from Leeds University, Michelle David who was a training player last year and is competing this year, Charlotte Bird who played for Nottingham University and NBL team last year, alongside Ellie Maidman, who played for Brent Bulls of NBL Division One last season. All have made their impact on the team since their arrival.
Their most recent encounter was against Oaklands Wolves II, where Storm won an intense, low-scoring affair which went down to the wire. The game defining moment saw an Ellie Maidman block in the closing stages to deny Oaklands from taking the lead. Maidman went on to be top scorer of the team, with 12 points; however, Becky Harvey’s hustle was rewarded with 16 rebounds to her name.
The talent continues throughout the squad with a great balance of players who are effective in the paint, with Mel George being a particular threat. Both Emily Taylor and Captain Jen Stenzel could be called upon in important moments, with an impressive ability to shoot with accuracy, alongside the hustle and determination to force turnovers with Hannah Brind and Emma French. Overall Coach Steve Darlow, assisted by Lily Frederick (player coach) and Tom Frederick will be pleased with their start to the season and look to muster a winning run with victory over a tough East London Phoenix, who have 3 wins and 2 losses to their name.
Following the Women’s game sees Storm men look to extend their unbeaten start to NBL Division One with a matchup against the Nottingham Hoods. The hosts will be full of confidence heading into this game having overcome the challenging weekend of Reading Rockets and Barking Abbey. Achieving two wins will help to motivate the team into extending an unbeaten run heading into a challenging schedule ahead.
The key threat in last weekend’s double victory was former Leicester Rider Darien Nelson-Henry, who scored 24 points in the Reading game, with 100% from field goals. His performance away at what proved to be a challenging Barking Abbey side saw the big achieve 23 points and 17 rebounds, in which he will look to continue his consistency. It will look to be an exciting matchup with Hoods having the threat of Greg Skoric, who is aggressive in the paint and can post some terrific statistics if Storm are not careful. Nelson-Henry’s leadership has also been key to Storm’s strong start to the season, with cohesion building as fixtures have been played.
Another exciting matchup sees American guard Tra’Michael Moton face up against Johde Campbell, who recently announced his return to the Hoods. Moton has shown his exceptional array of talent, with his ability to score the ball both inside and outside the three point arc. Alongside this, Moton has only missed 2 free throws this season, which could prove vital if the score is close heading into the latter stages of the game. Campbell, on the other hand, is an incredibly tough player to guard with his speed and ability to initiate contact a key strength to his game. He will be a key player on Storm’s radar, alongside the shooting accuracy that Landon Taliaferro also poses. Despite the Hoods sitting in 11th position, they will not be a team to be taken lightly as they will set up an entertaining affair.
It is sure to be an exciting day for all of the Hemel Storm family, with two entertaining games of basketball at the StormDome. With both Storm sides looking to build upon fantastic starts to their season, they need your support. Make sure to get your tickets using the Fanbase app.
Written by Ollie Heathcote