Saturday 14th October - 2.45pm tip off
NBL Division One
Saturday’s encounter sees Hemel Storm make the long journey up north to face Newcastle University, in what is an important game to register their first league win for the season. After a disappointing start to the league season against Loughborough away, Storm come into the fixture with the pressure of maintaining an unbeaten streak released, and looking to demonstrate a positive response to win on Tyneside.
Despite the result, it was clear to see the effect which the bigs of Brayden Inger and Hakeem Sylla bring, combining for 39 points and 18 rebounds respectively. Dual-National guard Tez Allen also made an impact, getting 15 points, alongside some important points from Seth Swalve and Sam Newman. Overall, Storm will bring a quality roster and good squad depth, with players contributing to the scoreboard off the bench.
As for the hosts Newcastle, they come into the fixture having won on the road against London Elite, with some impressive individual performances. Ones to watch for Newcastle are Logan Rooney, formerly of the Loughborough Riders, and forward Justin Hopkins, most recently representing Texas Southern Tigers in the USA. Being a university team, they will look to apply constant pressure and energy on the floor, attempting to force the Division One champions into turning the ball over.
It is sure to be a high intensity affair between the two sides, who will both want to make statements to the rest of the league. Storm will need to be at their best and continue to improve upon last week’s defeat to Loughborough. As a fixture that will be remembered by Storm fans as the game which won them the league last season, it will hopefully prove to be another exciting affair.
The game will be live streamed on Newcastle University's Instagram page.
Written by Ollie Heathcote.
