BBL Trophy, First Round
Thames Valley Cavaliers 86-78 Hemel Storm (13-21, 41-39, 59-61)
(Cavaliers – Roberts 21, Sylla 17, Bonner 17; Storm – Johnson 17, Pollen 14, Adeluola 11)
Thames Valley Cavaliers booked their place in the final eight of the BBL Trophy after a huge performance in the final quarter against Hemel Storm.
In the first round’s only all-NBL fixture, the tie provided both sides with a great opportunity to face a stern Glasgow Rocks test in the next stage.
It was the Storm who seemed to grab that impetus early on, and off the back of a solid defensive effort stretched out into an eight-point lead after the first.
The Cavaliers ended the half strongly however and took a slender lead into the break. A back-and-forth tie saw both teams evenly matched heading into the final period. The Cavaliers then grabbed control of the game in the final quarter and saved their best for last, to set up a quarter final date with the Rocks.