Words: Nigel Cash. Pics: Carson Dietrich
Derby Trailblazers 91 (19, 47, 65) Hemel Storm 82 (19, 33, 55)
Defence was king as Derby Trailblazers completed a league double over third placed Hemel Storm for the first time since the 2014/15 league season.
Led by Taylor Johnson (28.5 points per game) and Greg Poleon (24.7ppg), the Storm were averaging 95.6 points prior to this game, but Derby stepped up the defensive pressure to produce a 91-82 home win, backing up the intensity they showed in the away fixture, when the Blazers won 94-73.
When the two sides met in Hertfordshire back in October, Johnson was held to just 12 points and although he managed 17 at The Wig on Saturday, it means Derby reduced the American guard’s average points production by 50% across the two games.
Trailblazers Head Coach Matt Shaw was delighted with that effort:
“I was really pleased with our defensive performance and I thought we really made life difficult for them. They’re the league’s leading scorers and to hold a team like them to 82 points is probably equivalent to holding certain other teams to around 70 points.
“That was probably one of the keys to the win, but we got some huge contributions from Morgan [Carter] and Leighton [Elliott-Sewell] especially in the first half, which was delightful to see.
“We were also boosted by having Ryan [Bruggeman] available for the first time in almost a month. We have a lot of depth this season but having him back really does make an enormous difference to our game,” he said.
Bruggeman had been struggling with an ankle injury, picked up against Worthing in November. He made a brief return to play in the L Lynch Trophy final but was then side-lined once again as swelling returned. It’s hoped he will now be fit to face the rest of the season, starting with Friday’s BBL Trophy quarter-final tie against Bristol Flyers.
There was some fine shooting across the team, as Derby again led by captain Malcolm Smith who shot 50% from the field and 100% from the foul-line on his way to a game-high 23 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Bake Bowman netted 19 points off the back of 54.4% floor shotting and 100% from the line as well as collecting eight rebounds.
Leighton Elliott-Sewell also converted 57.1% including a couple of offensive put-backs on his way to eight points, but the ever-improving Morgan Carter led the percentage figures, converting 60% on his way to eight points.
Other notable contributions came from Raheem May-Thompson with 15 points, five rebounds and two blocks, Jonas Dieterich added ten points and four boards and Kayne King dished off a game high nine assists.
Hemel were led by Greg Poleon with an impressive 23 points and 16 rebounds, while Johson had 17 and nine and Sam Newman had 14 points and seven assists.
After an even first quarter, back-to-back three-pointers from Carter and May-Thompson gave Derby their first big lead at 25-19 and after an offensive put-back from Bode Adeluola, Carter added a lay-up, May-Thompson blocked a shot from Shaq Lewis and Elliott-Sewell added another basket to take the score to 29-21 and force a Hemel time-out with 7’11” on the clock.
Hemel responded well, twice cutting the gap to three-points before a basket from Smith was followed up by a high-arching Bruggeman three, to restore an eight-point advantage, prompting a second Storm time-out.
This time, it was Derby who responded better, with a 9-3 run to open up a 47-33 half-time advantage.
Hemel came out fired up for the third quarter, with captain Tayo Oyefusi netting eight of the points in a 12-3 run which included two three-pointers. So, with the gap trimmed to 50-45, it was not surprising to see Derby calling for time-out before Johnson could have the chance to complete a three-point play.
A second three-pointer from Bruggeman followed Johnson’s free-throw, before back-to-back triples from Dieterich and Bowman which restored a ten-point lead by the end of the third.
A basket and two free-throws by Smith took the lead back to fourteen points early in the fourth, but Hemel responded ten straight points. With nerves beginning to jangle, Coach Shaw took another time-out with 6’07” remaining.
The scoring drought was ended by Bowman, but Poleon then struck from long range, cutting the gap to three points. 
Thankfully, Bowman responded in kind and Johnson missed an open look for Hemel.
May-Thompson was then fouled but he successfully converted a pair of free-throws and after Newman missed a three-pointer, Bowman showed how it was done, taking the score to 79-68 and forcing another Hemel time-out.
The Storm gave it one last push, trimming the gap to 81-75 as they took advantage of a foul and a subsequent unsportsmanlike call against King, but Derby closed the game out with a 10-7 run to secure an important 91-82 home victory.
Summing up, Coach Shaw described it as a pleasing win and paid tribute to the role a loud and raucous crowd had played:
“It was a really pleasing win and I think without a doubt it was the best support we’ve had all at The Wig all season. The place was packed and that really makes a big difference, so we hope people will really get behind the team again on Friday night, as we try to make history in the BBL Trophy,” he said.
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