TEAM Solent Kestrels completed their double-header weekend with another victory, this time on the road at Hemel Storm as they improved to 11-0 in NBL Division One.

Kestrels did the hard work early on building a double digit lead and they would never look back, clinching a 76-59 victory, writes Jack O'Keeffe.

Kestrels raced out in front early in this one as Orlan Jackman and Andre Arissol found their way to the basket on the opening possessions and despite Levi Noel replying for Storm, Kestrels quickly built a 12-2 advantage. The sides traded baskets through the mid point of the quarter as Bode Adeluola and Johnathan Lashley scored for their teams respectively and when Lashley scored his second basket in as many attempts, Storm would use their first timeout of the game, 20-9 TSK. The visitors continued to build the lead post timeout and were up 24-11 after the first.

Arissol briefly extended the deficit to 15 before Greg Poleon replied with back-to-back scores for the hosts but a 7-0 run to follow for the Kestrels, behind some impressive Travis Charles finishing inside, meant they would now lead 33-15 with coach Andrew Spinks using his second timeout.

The advantage would stay at 18 for large spells of the second as Charles continued his good work, however Adeluola scored a pair of lay ups for Storm and trimmed the advantage to 14 sparking a coach Jack O’Keeffe timeout with just under three minutes left in the half. Kestrels would have seen that 14-point lead intact at the half if it wasn’t for former TSK forward, Tayo Oyefusi, banking in a three to beat the buzzer, 44-33 Kestrels at the break.

Poleon hammered a dunk home for Hemel to start the second half and reduced the lead to single digits, although this would be very short lived as a 6-0 run, through Charles and Brendan Okoronkwo, restored order to put TSK out to their largest lead of the game to that point, 50-35.

Mike Williams connected on a pair of tough pull up jump shots before Jackman and Okoronkwo replied and when Luke Busumbru and again Okoronkwo stroked a pair of jumpers, the visitors would now hold a 61-41 lead. Storm replied before the quarter finished but TSK were in front 61-44 with 10 minutes to play.

Jack Burnell hit a corner three for Storm early in the fourth but a 9-0 run for TSK, including an impressive one-handed flush from Busumbru, ensured there would be no comeback in sight for the hosts as they called for timeout, TSK 70-47 to the good.

The sides traded scores post timeout with Charles continuing to dominate for Kestrels, however Storm did trim the gap to 15 with an 8-0 run. Coach O’Keeffe used a timeout to settle his side down and they would go on to take a 17 point win, 76-59.

TSK forward Charles was the dominant force for the visitors as he lead the way with 26 points and seven rebounds on 75 per cent from the field, whilst Andre Arissol and Okoronkwo added 12 and 11 respectively. Hemel were led by their American duo of Poleon and Williams who had 16 and 13 points with Adeluola the only other player in double figures with 10.

TSK interim head coach O’Keeffe said: “Playing Hemel is always a tough match up let alone on the back end of a double header, so I’m really proud of our guys efforts," he said.

"Particularly the energy on the defensive end. I think this was one of our most clinical defensive performances of the season, holding a team who usually score well into the 90s to 59 shows just how good the guys were."