TEAM Solent Kestrels provided arguably their most complete performance of the season in Worthing, as they beat the Thunder 104-59 on their home floor in front of a packed house, writes Jack O'Keeffe.

The victory sees TSK improve to 13-2 in NBL Division One and is the Kestrels' 11th successive victory over the Thunder in all competitions.

Kestrels opened the game with four quick points through American duo Cole Gentry and Travis Charles but Worthing’s Hafeez Abdul and former Kestrel Jorge Ebanks replied with five of their own, to kick start their offensive output.

The sides would trade blows across the opening five minutes with neither team able to seize control, until Abdul stroked a triple to push the home side 15-11 in front.

Luke Busumbru eventually tied things up at 15 with a lay up but it was the Thunder who held a 19-21 lead after Jarred Dixon beat the first quarter buzzer.

TSK jumped out to a 7-0 run to put themselves up five inside 90 seconds of the second quarter, however Dixon was in fine scoring form to reply with four unanswered. Kestrels restored a five-point advantage through Busumbru and promoted an early second timeout of the half from the hosts.

Post-timeout the visiting Kestrels would blow the game wide open with a 21-3 scoring run, spanning across a four-minute spell. The defensive intensity would turn up for TSK allowing them to turn stops into plenty of transition-scoring opportunities, building a 51-28 lead. Kestrels would head into the half-time interval 57-33 to the good after pouring in 38 points in the quarter.

Worthing scored five points in quick succession to open the second half through Abdul and Zaire Taylor but Kestrels weathered the early response and scored seven of their own in reply, capped off with an Elliot Dadds three-pointer. The sides traded scores over the following possessions, until Gentry went back-to-back from beyond the three-point arc to push the lead to 30, sparking a Thunder timeout.

Worthing trimmed the gap to 26 momentarily but an 8-0 run to close the third from TSK, through more sharpshooting from Gentry and this time Andre Arissol, ensured the lead would be out to 34 with 10 minutes remaining.

A 10-2 scoring run, behind a pair of Elliott Sentance triples, ensured that there would be no heroic comeback from the hosts in the fourth quarter and that quickly prompted another Thunder timeout.

Post timeout TSK would hold Worthing scoreless for a further three minutes by which point the lead had reached 46, 99-53. Kestrels continued to pour on on the offensive production, through Brendan Okoronkwo and Kemel Archer, running out 104-59 winners.

Kestrels’ balanced scoring effort was led by captain Dadds who had 17 points, whilst Gentry added 16 points and Charles 14. Worthing Thunder’s Abdul had 18 points to lead the hosts with Dixon and Taylor adding 16 and 10 respectively.

Reflecting on the dominant display, TSK head coach Matt Guymon said: “I’m so proud of the players who continued to build from the momentum of last week.

"Once again our defensive pressure and depth was able to fuel our offensive production and it was great to see such a balanced scoring display with so many of our scores coming from assists.”