Weekend on the road for Storm

Hemel Storm face a difficult double-header this weekend, as Tom Baker’s tenure as head coach continues. Here, we preview the trip to Milton Keynes Breakers on Saturday, before the side travel to Birmingham to face the Rockets on Sunday…

Head-to-Head Record: 

Games played: 9

Storm wins: 6

Breakers: wins: 3

*All competitions, since start of 2021/22 season. 

British Championship Basketball League Positions: 

Storm: 11th

Breakers: 3rd

Opposition Scout Report: 

Ben Stanley’s side are led by Jordan Spencer, who was the main man in the Breakers’ rise up the NBL ranks before a short stint away with the SLB’s Newcastle Eagles. The Englishman is averaging 14.9 points, 7.9 assists and 6.3 rebounds so far this term. 

British-American Xavier Wilson has been a savvy addition to the Breakers ranks. The 6’8” forward is averaging 14.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game this season. 

Americans Chase Thompson and DaShawn Jackson have also both made a good impression in their debut years in England, averaging 14.6 and 12.9 points respectively. 

Elsewhere, the Breakers picked up former Derby Trailblazers sharpshooter Jonas Dietrich in the summer, and Blayne Freckleton will go head to head with his old side once more. 

The sides have met twice already this season, with Storm winning the first clash in the BCB Trophy and the Breakers levelling the series with a league win at the start of January. 

Memorable Meeting: 

Sunday 1st October, 2023

KitKing Trophy Quarter-Final

Hemel Storm 94-91 MK Breakers

The sides’ second ever meeting was another thriller, following on from Storm’s National Cup semi-final win the season before. 

Since then, the Breakers had achieved promotion to Division Two and were determined to cause an upset in the KitKing Trophy quarter-final here, but Storm were able to hold them off. 

It was the guests who had the better of the opening stages, scoring 36 first-quarter points to accumulate an eight-point lead. But the hosts bounced back, limiting the Breakers to just seven in the second to ensure they held the lead heading into the locker rooms - 46-43 the score. 

Storm’s advantage grew to double-digits midway through the third, but the Breakers refused to lie down and were back level by the end of the period. 

There wasn’t much to split the sides in the final quarter as the tension ramped up in front of an electric StormDome crowd, and Andre Arissol missed a late chance to force overtime as the hosts snatched a 94-91 win to send them to the semi-finals. 

Brayden Inger top scored with 20 points, while Hakeem Sylla claimed 17 points and a huge 15 rebounds. 

Last Time Out:

Tom Baker’s first game as Storm head coach ended in an 86-101 defeat at home against Birmingham Rockets on Saturday. 

Storm led for every minute of a fantastic first three quarters, with their advantage as many as 15, but their hard work was let down by a poor fourth-quarter performance. 

They scored only eight points and lost it by 22, throwing away the seven-point lead they had at the start of the period to lose by 15. 

There were plenty of positives to be taken, with clear signs of improvement, but they still appear to lack the confidence to get over the line. 

Brayden Inger continued his good form with a 22-point double-double, while Matt Norman had 21. 

MK, meanwhile, claimed an emphatic 101-60 victory against bottom-placed Bristol Flyers II on Saturday evening. 

The Breakers won every quarter and were able to heavily rotate their squad, giving their bench members the chance to make an impact and affording their regular starters a bit of a rest. 

Jackson had 19 points and an impressive five steals, while Spencer had a 13-point double-double. 

Battle With Birmingham On Sunday: 

Following Saturday’s trip to Milton Keynes, Baker’s side will make the journey to Birmingham on Sunday. 

The clash comes quickly after the sides’ last meeting, at the StormDome on Saturday, when the Rockets claimed a comeback win. 

Read last weekend’s preview and report to learn all about the Rockets. 

From The Locker Room: 

Sam Newman: “Last weekend's final scoreline actually does us a disservice as far as how we played and controlled that game for over three quarters, especially without Darien Nelson-Henry, who is an anchor on both ends of the floor for us.

“I think I can speak for everyone when I say we were a vastly different team on the floor last week and everything behind the scenes aligned with that. 

“We’ll do much the same now in preparation for this weekend and the results will come.”

When, Where and How to Follow: 

Saturday’s game in Milton Keynes tips-off at 5pm at Bletchley Leisure Centre, with tickets available to buy here. Alternatively, stay updated using either the livestream or livestats. 

For Sunday’s trip to Birmingham, tip-off is at 5.30pm at Nechells Wellbeing Centre, and tickets are available here. If you can’t make it, you can stay tuned with the livestream or livestats. 

Written by Callum Humphrey