Storm vs. Norlina Christian

NLC Storm 41 Norlina Christian Academy Crusaders 14

The New Life Storm got their second blowout win in a row on the road at Norlina Christian. The Storm overwhelmed the Crusaders with defensive pressure from the beginning. Hannah and Ele'Jah trapped the Norlina ballhandlers out to midcourt, resulting in several early steals and preventing Norlina from getting into any kind of halfcourt offense at all. The Storm reeled off the first 12 points of the game. By halftime the lead was 24-5. The lead increased to 30 points in the second half. Shelby, Hannah, and Ele'Jah were rested most of the 4th quarter as the younger players got some good experience. Shelby led the Storm with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Hannah had her 3rd straight double-figure scoring game with 11 points, to go along with 5 steals and 8 deflections. Ele'Jah also had 5 steals and Leigh led in assists with 3.

Sanford Shootout

NLC Storm 34 Franklin Academy Patriots 64

In the opening game of the Sanford Shootout, the New Life Storm faced a Franklin Academy team which entered the game undefeated, having won all of their previous games by more than 30 points. The Storm hung tough in the first quarter, trailing by only 2 points at the end of the period. In the second period, the Patriots exploded for 27 points and went into halftime with a 40-19 lead. NLC played the Patriots closer in the second half, but couldn't narrow the gap. Turnovers were again a problem, and led to Franklin getting off nearly twice as many shot attempts. Hannah led the Storm with 12 points (including 3 three-pointers) while Shelby led in rebounds and assists with 11 and 3.

NLC Storm 59 O'Neal School Falcons 34

The Storm bounced back the next morning with a convincing win in the consolation game against the O'Neal School from Southern Pines. NLC jumped out to a 16-3 first quarter lead and never looked back. The lead continued to grow and reached 53-19 at the end of the 3rd quarter. The Storm passed the ball well, with 19 assists (6 girls had 2 or more assists) and a season-low 12 turnovers. Hannah again led the scoring with 16 points and Leigh had 10 rebounds, while Shelby chipped in 13 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. Hannah was named to the all-tournament team.

Storm vs. Cary Christian

NLC Storm 36 Cary Christian Knights 34

The New Life Storm overcame a sluggish start and pulled out a close comeback victory at home against the Knights of Cary Christian School. Coming off a hard-fought win in their previous game, the Storm came out flat, scoring only 2 points in the first quarter and trailing 20-12 at halftime. They responded with better play in the second half, and with the score tied late in the game Shelby Suffridge stepped to the line twice and hit 2 of 4 free throws to put the Storm ahead by 2. Shelby then blocked a shot on the Knights' final possession to preserve the win. Shelby led the team with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Ele'Jah Carter had 3 assists and 5 steals.

Storm vs. Neuse Christian

NLC Storm 51 Neuse Christian Lions 46

In the first girls varsity game played in the new NLC Activities Center, the New Life Storm defated the Lions of Neuse Christian Academy. The Storm girls showed marked improvement from the previous weekend both offensively and defensively, and outrebounded the Lions 50-24. They looked to push the ball upcourt at every opportunity and scored quite a few points in transition. The second period was key - NLC held Neuse to only 3 points in the quarter and stretched a 1-point lead out to 9 points at the half. Mary Williams had 11 first-half points (including a perfect 7-7 at the FT line). Sarah Suffridge provided a spark off the bench, scoring 5 points, playing tough defense, and making numerous hustle plays. The Storm frustrated high-scoring Neuse guard Katelyn Donta with their defense - Mary shadowed her all over the court, and the rest of the team was constantly there to help or double-team. In the second half, the Storm remained in control of the game, taking their largest lead at 47-36 midway through the 4th quarter. The Lions mounted a comeback, aided by some Storm turnovers and rushed shots, and scored 10 unanswered points to cut the lead to 1. The girls who have been there before stepped up for the Storm down the stretch. Hannah Carlson began bringing the ball upcourt against the press and settled the offense down. She found Shelby Suffridge inside for a baby hook to push the lead back to 3. After Neuse failed to score, Shelby was fouled and drained both FT's to put the margin back to 5 and put the game away. For the game, Mary led the Storm in scoring with 16 points, while Shelby had 15 points and 12 rebounds. Sarah also had double figures in rebounds with 11 boards and Emily Stone led in assists with 5.

NCHEAC Preseason Tip-Off

The Storm girls got their first game action of the season - and for several of the players their first ever taste of varsity action - when they played in the Preseason Tip-Off tournament put on by the NCHEAC conference in Greensboro.

The season kicked off Friday morning as the Storm took on the Forsyth Hawks in the first ever meeting between these two programs. NLC hung close for the first half, trailing 13-10 after one quarter and down by 8 at the half, but early in the second half Shelby Suffridge went down with an ankle injury and was out for the rest of the game. With the Storm missing its most experienced player, the Hawks grabbed a double-digit lead and began to pull away. A high-scoring 4th quarter saw the Storm pour in 18 points in an attempt to come back, but Forsyth countered with 20 and won by a final score of 56-40. Hannah Carlson led the team in scoring with 13 points, Emily Stone grabbed 8 rebounds, and Shelby dished out 3 assists. A bright spot for the Storm was Katie Patrick, who came off the bench to score her first 6 points as a varsity player.

Friday afternoon, playing on a short rest, the Storm took on the Lowcountry Lady Wildcats of Charleston, SC. The Wildcats were led by 6'0" UNC-Asheville recruit Jeanine Buckner, who scored 23 points. With Shelby playing limited minutes and the team shooting only 14% against a very solid team, the Storm dropped this one by a score of 48-18. Emily Stone and Mary Williams led the team with 5 points each and Mary also pulled down 7 rebounds. A bright spot noted by the coaches after this game was the defensive play of Courtney Brodie and Sarah Suffridge off the bench.

On Saturday, the Storm played their final game of the weekend against the Upstate Eagles of Spartanburg, SC. The Storm pushed the ball well up the court at the start, getting 3 fast-break baskets early, and led 8-6 six minutes into the game. The Eagles closed the quarter with a 10-0 run, though, to take the lead. With a 10-point lead at the half, the Eagles pulled away in the 3rd quarter, forcing turnovers with their press and turning them into points and wearing down the Storm with their physicality. The final score was 60-31, with the Storm committing 32 turnovers. NLC was led by Hannah and Mary with 8 points each, and Shelby with 8 rebounds and 4 steals.

Hannah Carlson was named to the All-Tournament team. Overall, the tournament was a good learning experience and there were glimpses of the potential that this team has as they start their way working to get back to the top again. Most important of all, the Storm girls demonstrated great sportsmanship through adversity, showing that with all the changes in the program one thing remains constant - the primary goal is to be a team that shines the light of Jesus in all that they do.

Season 5 - Storm 2.0

Four years ago, four freshmen homeschooled girls were part of a brand-new varsity girls basketball team at New Life Camp called the Storm. A year later, they were joined by three 7th graders, and together those 7 girls formed the core of a team that grew over the next 3 years into a championship team. Last year as seniors and freshmen, this group, with senior transfer Arianna Dinglasan as the final piece of the puzzle, posted a 20-4 record and captured the East Coast Homeschool Championship at the HSPN tournament in Virginia.

This year marks a new beginning. Only sophomores Shelby Suffridge and Hannah Carlson remain from last year's team. They are joined by freshmen Emily Stone and Tamara Johnson, and 8th graders Katie Patrick, Sarah Suffridge, and Sarah Munroe, who move up from the Middle School Storm. Junior Mary Williams rejoins the team after 2 years away, and the Storm program welcomes newcomers Ele'Jah Carter, Leigh Hales, and Courtney Brodie.

The new Storm team is young but has a lot of potential and is ready to start making its mark as the new season begins at the NCHEAC Preseason Tip-Off Tournament in Greensboro on Nov. 5th and 6th.