On paper, what looked like a very difficult weekend of fixtures, the Surrey 89ers almost walked away with two impressive victories.

One game at home against a much-changed Leicester Riders on Friday evening, quickly followed by a visit to Manchester on Sunday to face the much-fancied Manchester Basketball.

The 89ers, having lost the previous two fixtures, were tipped by many to come away from this double header weekend winless. In truth, it was a very different outcome.

Friday night saw Coach Rob Paternostro bring his much-changed Leicester Riders roster to Surrey Sports Park. A venue that has been a regular happy hunting ground for over a decade for the Riders.

Owen Koonce returns

The 89ers were boosted by the return of Owen Koonce to the line-up to gave coach Lloyd Gardner a full roster to choose from. This soon changed, however, with Koonce appearing to turn his ankle just minutes into his return, forcing him to leave the game and not return.

Minutes after his misfortune, Koonce was joined on the bench by Andrew Lawrence, who appeared to tweak something, forcing his exit.

Surrey’s injury curse couldn’t be returning, surely! As the game progressed, it became a real shootout between two teams that have no fear from beyond the arc. Leicester is led by the very impressive Raequan Battle.

Some incredible shot-making from the outside saw Battle finish with a game-high 27 points. Throughout the game, the score flip-flopped back and forth, never more than a couple of scores between the teams.

With seconds to go, down by two points, the Niners forced a turnover, and the ball arrived in the hands of Ronald Polite in the corner. As the SSP crowd held its breath, the shot bounced out from the rim, leaving the relieved Riders with a two-point victory and the Niners wondering what might have been.

In a game separated by just two points, the Niners will rue six missed free throws. Fine margins!

Final Score Surrey 89ers 78 Leicester Riders 80.

Onto Sunday and a first road game of the season for the Niners. Koonce and Lawrence are both unavailable from injuries sustained on Friday.

Captain Tayo Ogedengbe, once again into the starting line-up, really led the team on both ends of the court, his work rate and leadership dragging the much undermanned Niners on.

Another game where the lead was passed between both teams. Manchester appeared to take the decisive lead in the fourth quarter, powered by 30 points from the sharp-shooting Max Jones.

The Niners hung in there, forcing a scoreless last two minutes from Manchester. Ronald Polite and Isiah Small led the Niners from a six-point deficit to a game-winning five-point lead. Game MVP Isiah Small finished with an impressive 23 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists.

Final Score. Manchester 90 Surrey 89ers 95

Niners are now 2-0 against the much-fancied Manchester this season.

A real confidence-boosting weekend for Surrey, proving to everybody that they can be a match for anybody in the league. Particularly impressive considering the small rotation this weekend due to injuries. The Niners are also giving young British talent lots of court time. It’s exciting to see if this weekend’s performance can be a platform for this team to grow from.