Saturday night saw Hemel Storm defeat Bradford Dragons 87-79 in a closely-fought encounter at the StormDome.
After an intense first half, a 31-16 third quarter, combined with fiery moments proved to be the difference between the two teams, as Storm started their NBL Division One campaign off in style, looking to regain the title from last season’s winners Derby Trailblazers.
The opening quarter saw both teams struggle to put the ball into the net, after many opportunities were squandered, with both teams looking to gain a feel for the game. This was evident as there had only been a total of 11 points scored between the two teams.
Both Sam Newman and Trent Monkman began to show ominous signs of their threat to the Dragons, who were armed with the threatening Kofi Josephs and former Manchester Giant Jordan Whelan. Storm were able to muster a 19-11 lead by the end of the quarter, with the majority of the game in the balance.
Bradford Dragons were quick to close the difference at the beginning of the second period, as a 0-9 run in the first 1:30 turned the score in favour of the visitors. Storm were quick to regroup from a poor start to the quarter, as the encounter remained within one possession. The highlight play of the quarter saw the connection between University of Victoria alumni Trent Monkman, as he lobbed the ball up to Matt Ellis, who slammed the ball home for the alley-oop. The half time break approached as Storm were in a narrow 41-37 lead.
The third quarter proved to be the best quarter for Storm as their hustle, determination, and execution was rewarded with 31 points. Although tempers flared between both sides on court, this helped to ignite the vociferous StormDome, who continued to spur Storm on every possession. The outside presence of Monkman and Newman, the intelligence inside the paint from Nelson-Henry, and the athleticism of Eze and Disu proved vital on both ends of the court, meaning that Storm went into the final quarter winning 72-53.
Despite Storm’s comfortable lead heading into the final period, Bradford continued to chip away in hopes of a comeback. Opening the fourth with a 4-13 run, Storm needed to remain focused, and ensure that they executed their plays and their shooting was accurate. The efforts from Whelan, Josephs and Baldwin looked to spark some hope into the travelling side, however, time was limited for the comeback. Eventually, Storm were able to control the closing stages and emerge 87-79 winners.
It was a valiant team performance which enabled Storm to control the majority of proceedings alongside the fantastic support of the crowd. Despite starting some quarters slowly, resilience was shown from the team, who were able to keep believing in order to secure the victory.
Check out more game day photos here.
Storm now face a long trip to the North East to face Newcastle Knights next Saturday. They return to home action on Saturday 19th October when newly promoted Bristol Hurricanes visit the StormDome. Tickets are available via the Fanbase platform.
Written by Ollie Heathcote
Photos by Nicola C Creative
