Storm end home stretch with Cavaliers clash
Hemel Storm will look to follow their dramatic double-overtime win against Milton Keynes Breakers with more joy on home soil when they host London Cavaliers on Saturday.
Tom Baker’s side made it five wins from five in all competitions as they started their league campaign in nail-biting fashion against the Breakers last weekend, with Storm’s Head Coach earning BCB Coach of the Month honours for September.
Now, they will look for more success against the Cavaliers in their fourth straight outing at the StormDome.
Opposition Focus
It took a little while for the Cavaliers and new head coach Will Wise to get off the mark this season.
They lost their first three games in a tough BCB Trophy group against Reading Rockets, Worthing Thunder and Essex Rebels, before a comfortable victory against Portsmouth Force to end the pool stage restored some pride.
They converted that momentum into a win over Loughborough Riders to start their league campaign last weekend, Juan Manning starring with 32 points.
Last season’s BCB Defensive Player of the Year Zain Poorman made the move to Uxbridge in the off-season after captaining Reading Rockets to the inaugural BCB League title last time out, while the Cavs have also secured Jaguar Jackson, formerly of MK Breakers, and power forward Mergim Sokoli, who spent the second half of last season with Storm.
Key Matchup
Two British guards who know how to get it done and have lit the league up in recent years.
Reigning BCB British Player of the Year Victor Olarerin has already shown what he’s capable of since signing for Storm this summer, firing his way to a Player of the Week-winning 26 points against MK Breakers in the final round of the Trophy matches.
And it was Juan Manning’s turn to impress last weekend, with his 32 points the difference between the Cavs and Loughborough Riders.
Athletic, explosive, exhilarating, these two love to put on a show and one of them may just steal the headlines and get their team over the line on Saturday.
In Numbers
Head-to-Head Record:
Storm wins: 10
Cavaliers wins: 5
*All competitions, since the start of the 2021/22 season.
BCB League Position:
Storm: 5th (1–0)
Cavaliers: 6th (1–0)
League Top Scorer:
Storm: Jared Small – 26 PPG
Cavaliers: Juan Manning – 32 PPG
From the Locker Room - Jared Small
“It’s always tough to beat a team in back-to-back games, but we found a way.
“Sometimes that’s all you can do - find a way to win, especially coming back from a big deficit early on.
“I think that game is a testament to our depth and our grit, we just continued to battle and get after it until we got the results we wanted.
“And shout-out to the Storm fans for not dropping in intensity through the two overtimes, that energy helps more than they know”
Played For Both
Just 18 miles split the two sides, so perhaps it’s not surprising that so many players have suited up for both teams.
Of the current Storm squad, Hakeem Sylla made his name in British basketball with the Cavs, while Kai Walker also had a brief spell in Uxbridge.
Mergim Sokoli, meanwhile, joined the Cavs after leaving Storm in the summer, and 2018 National Cup winner and final MVP AJ Roberts is back for his fifth year, having helped make history in his time at Storm.
Storm legends Taylor Johnson and Bode Adeluola have each spent time at both clubs, as have Blayne Freckleton, Hafeez Abdul, Shaq Lewis, Charles Acquah-Davis, Jonathan Lashley and Bernard Hehetro.
Game Information
It was electric at the StormDome last Saturday, and Tom Baker’s side will need your support again this week.
Tip-off is at 7pm and tickets are available on the Fanbase app.
Alternatively, you can follow along through our social media channels, the livestream or the livestats.
Written by Callum Humphrey