Having already secured their place in the quarterfinals, MK Breakers travelled to Hemel on Saturday knowing that a win would see them finish top of their pool after wins over Oaklands Wolves, Loughborough Riders and COB Rockets.
With Sam Grant missing the game through injury, this was always going to be a tough task for Coach Nigel Lloyd’s men, and the home side jumped out to an early 15-point lead behind some tough shot-making.
Yet Breakers refused to collapse, instead digging deep to fight back into contention. Jonas Dieterich – who finished the game with 22 points and 11 rebounds – would lead the way with a stand-out performance.
But this was far from a one-man show as the team delivered another well-rounded display that saw notable contributions from Nick Woodard (23 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists) and Darius Duffy (11 points, 16 rebounds) while Mike New Jr weighed in with 15 points off the bench.
It would not be enough to overcome Hemel, but Coach Lloyd was still impressed with the resilience his team showed against a difficult opponent. “This was always going to be a tough one for us,” he said shortly after the final buzzer. “Hemel are a strong opponent, especially on their home floor and they showed that again tonight.
“But I thought our guys did well to compete the way they did for 40 minutes. We will make no excuses, and we will put the work in to come back here next week in our first league game and be even better.”
Indeed, that is the next outing for the first team, returning to Hemel Hempstead Leisure Centre on October 3 for a 19:00 tip-off.
Box Score: Hemel Storm 99-93 MK Breakers
Photo Credit: Josh Colls