Storm secure top spot after epic battle against Breakers
Hemel Storm beat local rivals MK Breakers in a thrilling battle on Saturday night, securing top spot in the BCB Trophy group stage in the process.
A rapturous StormDome watched on as Storm’s rapid start was reined in by the visitors, before Tom Baker’s side held on to claim a 99-93 win and complete a perfect group campaign.
The importance of the victory was heightened by the fact it ensured home advantage for the next stage of the competition, in which Storm will meet Yorkshire Dragons.
Victor Olarerin produced his strongest performance in a Storm shirt to date, driving to the basket with speed and agility to leave the MK defence with few answers.
His long-range shooting was improved from last Sunday’s win over Oaklands Wolves, as was the whole team’s - their success rate from behind the arc doubling from 18% to 36% here - and that proved to be crucial in picking up a narrow win.
As was the performance of captain Sam Newman.
With the Breakers directing the majority of their attention to big man Ty Nsangu in the pick-and-roll, Newman was given greater freedom and took full advantage, knocking down a game-high four three-pointers on his way to 21 points.
The depth of Baker’s squad was tested, with Nsangu struggling to find his rhythm and finding himself fouled out of the game early in the final quarter, but it proved more than capable.
Inspired by the raucous home crowd, Brayden Inger connected with a range of vital shots throughout the second half to accumulate 21 points, while American Jabari Nurse had another strong evening in posting a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Baker rotated his five all the way down the stretch, keeping his side energised and selecting his side based on the demands of the situation, with Alex McNaught, Kai Walker and Jared Small all playing their part.
Again they brought great energy from the very first minute, harrying the Breakers to the point of suffocation, and they’d built up a game-high 15-point lead late in the first quarter.
The Breakers responded, though, to reduce the deficit to five by the time the first buzzer sounded.
Storm stuck to their style, their restless press yielding 12 steals, five apiece for Nurse and Olarerin, and 20 points from turnovers, four times the tally of their opponents.
If there were to be any criticism, Baker’s side perhaps lacked some ruthlessness and offered their guests too many routes back into the game through second-chance points, when their performance merited a more comprehensive victory.
They had the lead back to 11 with a minute-and-a-half remaining in the first half, but a Breakers run cut it to five - 53-48 the score as the sides headed to the locker rooms.
It was the guests who emerged the strongest, taking the lead in the third quarter, and they could have run away with it were it not for Inger’s resistance.
Olarerin then took control with seven straight points and a tight game stood at 75-73 with 10 minutes to play.
Nurse and Olarerin combined to take the lead back up to eight, but the Breakers would not go away.
Two Duffy free throws reduced it to a three-point game with just over a minute on the clock, prompting a Baker timeout, but Nurse and Newman held their nerve from the line to keep the hosts ahead.
Another timeout with 15 seconds remaining and three points in it allowed Storm to advance the ball to the frontcourt, but Newman appeared to have been trapped by the Breakers press.
Somehow, though, the Storm point guard found Inger open under the basket with a crucial pass, as his side clung on for a six-point win.
The Breakers return to Hemel next Saturday as the regular league season commences. Tickets are available on the Fanbase app for what is expected to be another busy evening.
Written by Callum Humphrey