Storm VG @ Trinity School of Durham

New Life Storm 60 Trinity Lions 28

Playing their 5th game in 8 days, the Storm girls rolled to a win over the Trinity Lions in Durham. For the 3rd consecutive game, the Storm used a strong first quarter to grab a double-digit lead and kept pouring it on from there. Also for the 3rd consecutive game, they won by more than 30 points. Ten players scored for the Storm, led by Mary and Tamara with 10 points apiece. Leigh led in rebounding with 10 and Katie dished out 5 assists.

Storm VG @ East Wake

New Life Storm 65 East Wake Academy Eagles 34

The Storm girls posted their 2nd consecutive 30 point win with a blowout victory over East Wake Academy in Zebulon. The Eagles came into the game with a record of 6-1, but the Storm came out pressing and running with their highest-scoring quarter of the season - putting 23 points on the board in the first period to take a 23-9 lead. A 20-point third quarter put the game out of reach for good. The Storm pressure defense had 32 steals on the game. Hannah Grace led the Storm with 23 points, 5 assists, and 7 steals. Emily had 13 points and 5 steals, and Shelby pulled down 10 rebounds and had 9 steals. Paige Storey and Anna Smith also got their first varsity baskets in the game.

Storm VG @ Norlina

New Life Storm 45 Norlina Christian Crusaders 14

The night after the bruising Franklin Academy game, the Storm girls traveled up to Norlina to take on the Crusaders. The Storm dominated the game, leading 27-7 at halftime and 40-8 after 3 quarters on their way to their 5th win of the season. All 13 players who were there saw a lot of playing time and contributed to the win. The Storm had balanced scoring, as Hannah Grace finished with 9, Shelby with 8, and Mary, Emily, and Katie with 7 apiece. Shelby led in rebounds with 9, while Paige and Hannah Millard had 6 each. Sarah Suffridge led the team with 3 assists.

Storm VG @ Franklin Academy

Franklin Academy Patriots 37 NLC Storm 34

The Storm girls dropped a close game on the road against Franklin Academy. The game was a tough, physical, defensive battle. NLC held a small lead for most of the game but Franklin made the plays to pull ahead in the final minute. 29 turnovers and some key fouls led to Franklin getting 25 more shot attempts than Storm and more than double the number of FT attempts. Hannah Grace led the Storm with 11 points and 3 assists. Shelby had 7 points and 12 rebounds. Emily also pulled down 12 rebounds. Sarah Suffridge chipped in 7 points and 6 rebounds and drew praise from the coaches afterwards for her toughness after being knocked to the floor multiple times.

Storm VG vs. Kestrel Heights

NLC Storm 49 Kestrel Heights Hawks 40

For their home opener for the season, the Storm Varsity Girls took on the Kestrel Heights Hawks of Durham. Behind scoring from Hannah Grace and Shelby, the Storm established a first-half lead the team would never relinquish. Mary provided a spark off the bench in the 3rd quarter with 3 inside baskets. Early in the 4th quarter, back to back fast break baskets by Hannah Grace and Sarah Suffridge pushed the lead to double figures. The lead reached as high as 15 points before Aaron rested the starters late. The team played great defense on the Hawks' point guard, holding her 10 points below her 25 ppg average. Hannah Grace led the team in scoring with 17 points, while Shelby was also in double-figures with 10. Shelby and Sarah S. each had 7 rebounds and Hannah Carlson dished out 4 assists.