Storm search for victory in Bristol
Hemel Storm head to bottom-placed Bristol Flyers II on Saturday, hoping to secure Tom Baker’s first win as head coach. Read on for everything you need to know about the clash…
Head-to-Head Record:
Games played: 2
Storm wins: 2
Flyers: wins: 0
*All competitions, since start of 2021/22 season.
British Championship Basketball League Positions:
Storm: 12th
Flyers: 14th
Opposition Scout Report:
Life has been tough for the Flyers since last season’s NBL Division Two title win secured them a place in the inaugural BCB League campaign.
They’re yet to win after 16 matches and have been dealt some hefty blows along the way, including a 72-point defeat to Essex Rebels last weekend.
Nassim Ladjimi has done his best to turn their fortunes around - the Tunisian native leads their scoring with 12.9 points per game.
Lanre Ayinla is averaging 11.1, alongside 4.5 rebounds, but the pair are the only members of Chris Bourne’s squad to average double-digits scoring.
Memorable Meeting:
Saturday 29th November, 2025
BCB League
Hemel Storm 131-97 Bristol Flyers II
Jack Burnell fired Storm past the Flyers in the sides’ first ever league meeting earlier this season.
The Hemel-born sharpshooter delighted the home crowd, connecting nine times from outside the arc on his way to a 31-point display.
There were also 25 for Taylor Johnson as a shorthanded Storm blew away the Flyers, whose defence simply could not cope with their offensive firepower.
They led by 29, 67-38, at half time and had extended that to 34 come the final buzzer, securing their third win of the BCB League season.
Last Time Out:
Storm fell to a pair of defeats in a tough weekend on the road, although they battled hard and certainly showed glimpses of improvement.
Saturday’s trip to Milton Keynes ended in a 104-85 defeat, despite Storm leading at half time. A second quarter supercharged by 14 Jack Burnell points saw them head into the locker room 54-53 to the good, but the Breakers roared back to take control after the break.
There were 20 points for Matt Norman, and Kai Walker notched a 19-point double-double against his former team.
And a final-quarter comeback fell just short in Birmingham the following day, as the Rockets sealed a 3-0 sweep of narrow victories over Storm for the season.
A dominant second-quarter saw the hosts take an eight-point lead into half time, and the difference was extended to 12 by the end of the third period.
But a clear step up in defensive intensity forced a string of Rockets turnovers early in the fourth, and the deficit was reduced to two with around four minutes to play. But they couldn’t haul the hosts all the way in and ended on the wrong side of the 90-82 scoreline.
Tom Baker’s bench added plenty of energy and Di-Jani Parkison and Veron Eze both impressed, finishing with 16 and 15 points respectively.
The Flyers felt the full force of the Essex Rebels as they fell to a 115-43 defeat on Saturday evening.
The 72-point thumping continued their torrid run of form so far this season, following on from a 41-point loss against MK Breakers the previous weekend and ensuring they remain winless in the BCB League.
Only Ayinla and Ladjimi entered double-digit scoring with 14 and 13 respectively on a night to forget for the Bristol outfit.
From The Locker Room:
Jovan Rai: “Tough two road games for us last weekend, but we’re looking to take the positives and build on them.
“We’re making some tweaks and hoping to build some momentum coming into this weekend and February.”
When, Where and How to Follow:
The venue for Saturday’s game is the SGS College, WISE Campus, BS34 8LP. Tip-off is at 6.30pm and entry is free, although there will be a small shop serving drinks and snacks accepting cash payments only.
If you can’t make the trip, stay tuned using either the livestream or livestats.
Storm return to home action on Saturday 14th February when they welcome Loughborough Riders to the StormDome. Tickets are available on Fanbase.
Written by Callum Humphrey
