Off the back of their mighty impressive victory in Milton Keynes on Saturday evening, Hemel Storm will head to Essex to face the Rebels on Sunday, looking for a win to take them ever-closer to the NBL Division One crown.
Trent Monkman put on a show in their victory over the Breakers at the weekend, deservedly earning Player of the Week recognition for his 35 points, and Mark Clark’s side were a stark improvement on their recent performances, including in a first league loss at the hands of Reading the week prior.
That will offer huge encouragement and belief, brushing aside any possibility of a dramatic downturn in form catalysed by the defeat to the Rockets, and it may feel even more rewarding that such a strong showing was offered despite the absence of leading scorer Matt Ellis.
With a total of four wins required from their remaining six fixtures to put the the league trophy beyond doubt, Storm still have plenty of work to do, with some tough opposition awaiting them - notably the visit of the Loughborough Riders to the StormDome and a trip to old enemies, albeit recently rebranded, London Cavaliers. Further, second-placed Reading are showing no signs of letting up, claiming a statement win of their own against Loughborough on Sunday, so Storm can take nothing for granted and must continue to find their best level, starting with the tricky assignment facing them in the Rebels on Sunday.
It makes up the last leg of a double-header home weekend for the side from Essex, which could work in Storm’s advantage if tired legs come into play. Alternatively, should the Rebels be successful in their first task, downing the Birmingham Rockets the day before, they could find themselves riding the crest of a wave, fuelled by momentum in their bid to tackle the Storm.
It’ll also be the first time the sides have met since the tragic incident that saw four members of the Rebels community lose their life, including TJ Hibbert and Daljang Wol of the men’s Division One basketball setup, and emotions will still be raw, with devastation spreading across the whole of the British basketball world.
Since that awful event, the team have been inspired, keen to honour the memory of their lost friends with some fitting basketball. A run of three straight wins has seen them topple the talented Newcastle Knights, London Cavaliers and, most recently, Worthing Thunder.
Those successes have helped them cement themselves firmly in the playoff picture, sitting in sixth place, and they’ll certainly offer Storm a firm examination of any title credentials.
In fact, they are one of only three teams to beat the Hemel-side so far this campaign, defeating them way back in September in KitKing Trophy action. On that day, with the fixture played behind closed doors due to a lack of volunteers at the venue, Storm succumbed to a lull, unable to find the energy or motivation needed, and produced a lacklustre performance.
They’ll be hoping that their travelling support, along with a return to the fun-filled gameday experience they are used to on their travels to Essex, will give them the boost they need to overcome a determined Rebels side, as they did when the teams clashed in the league in late January - Storm 95-83 victors on that occasion.
Talented guard Connor Nelson leads their scoring, providing a threat from all over the court with a stellar three-point percentage of 38.2, and Emmanuel Kanwei will look to give Storm’s Darien Nelson-Henry every bit as good as he gets in the battle under the basket. With a solid network of experienced, British talent lining their roster, Storm will need to utilise the good feeling produced by last week’s win and produce another well-rounded performance to get the job done on Sunday.
Tickets are available via Essex’s website and the Fanbase app, with tip-off scheduled for 4pm at the University of Essex Sport Arena.
Storm return to home action when they face Loughborough Riders on Saturday 15th March at the StormDome. Make sure to get your tickets using the Fanbase platform and support the Storm in this matchup.
Written by Callum Humphrey