Sunday 15th October
Anglia Ruskin University 54-42 Hemel Storm Women
National Cup
The Storm Women's basketball team and Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) put on an impressive display in their recent game. With Storm showing even though they were the league below and were without players due to injury, they were still very much in the running to getting to the next stage in the cup.
ARU kicked off the game with a strong start by winning the tip and scoring 2 baskets very quickly. Storm ran hard and got some good looks in the key but as they took some time to settle down ARU took the lead 10 - 2. A successful full court press saw Storm fight back to finish the first quarter 15-12.
The second quarter was tightly fought. Storm upped their offensive rebounding, vastly improving their chance of a second shot. ARU struggled to stop Mel George from scoring under the basket as the guards continued to get her the ball. In response to ARU’s back-to-back three pointers, Emily Taylor scored a three pointer of her own as the first half ended 28 – 24 to ARU.
Storm began the third quarter with a full court press which led to some steals and easy lay ups. However, ARU responded by intensifying their 3-point shooting and defensive pressure, which led to a few turnovers from the Storm. Despite this push, Storm trailed by only 8 heading into the fourth quarter 40-32.
In the final quarter, ARU’s defensive pressure forced a tired Storm to make challenging passes, which resulted in several steals by the opposition. As a result, the score ended up a disappointing but respectable 54-42 to ARU. Despite the loss, Storm showed massive improvement on their previous performances, giving a glimpse into what could be possible this season. Both teams showed exceptional skill, fiercely competing until the very last whistle.
Storm #27 | M. George – 13 PTS, 11 REB, 2 STLS #19 | E. Taylor – 12 PTS, 8 REB, 2 STLS
Written by Hannah Brind
Photos by Joanne Charles
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