Surrey 89ers completed a remarkable start to 2026 with three wins from the opening three games of the new year.

On paper, what looked like three very difficult fixtures, the Niners have proved that they can match up with anybody in Super League Basketball (SLB). A home game against Bristol Flyers was sandwiched between two long road games in Sheffield and Caledonia.

Welcome, Tyin Lawrence

First up was the first meeting with the Sheffield Sharks this season, travelling north, backed by a loud travelling support. A few days before the game, the Surrey roster had been boosted by the signing of American Guard Tyrin Lawrence. Owen Koonce, once again being hit by the injury bug, meant the new man was straight into the starting 5.

The Niners started strong on offence, and with what looked like a steely determination on the defensive end, they ran out 94-88 winners — a real consistent performance saw them win all four quarters.

Despite the usual nerves in the fourth-quarter as Sheffield finally started to find their stride, Surrey managed to find important scores when required, but more importantly, were able to close out the potent Sharks offence.

New man Tyrin Lawrence is giving the Niners fans much to look forward to, with a debut performance of 15 points. Isiah Small and Michael Graham are once again bringing consistency on both ends of the floor. The link-up between this duo is becoming a real weapon for Lloyd Gardner’s men.

Next up, the Bristol Flyers

Surrey, full of confidence from the Sheffield performance, welcomed Bristol Flyers to the Surrey Sports Park for some Friday night action. A Bristol team that has twice comfortably beaten Surrey at the SSP this season. The Niners had gained some revenge with the recent overtime victory on Bristol soil.

In truth, this game was decided by the unbelievable shooting performance from Surrey, and in particular Kino Lily Jr, who at one point was 7/7 from beyond the arc. He finished with 7/9 for a total of 22 points.

The Flyers seemed unable to stem the tide of the Niners’ offence, whether it was Lily and others raining in 3 pointers, or the inside link-ups of Small and Graham, both finishing with double-double stats. Surrey seemed to be able to score at will.  Every Surrey player who stepped on court registered points.

Lily Jr deservedly being named MVP, but he was pushed close by a vintage Nedas Cholevinskas performance, seeing the young British star rack up 17 points with an impressive shooting display.

Despite a brief hint of a Bristol comeback in the 4th quarter, Surrey ran out comfortable 93-80 winners. Making a dent in the points difference that Bristol had amassed earlier in the season.

Surrey’s rich vein of form continues

Forty eight hours later, the Niners headed north to face the Caledonia Gladiators. Both teams were keen to gain victory in what has been seen as a meeting of the bottom two teams in the Championship.

A nip and tuck start to the game, saw both teams trading scores. This trend continued all the way through to halftime, where the Niners held a 40-41 lead.

Remember the new Surrey signing Tyrin Lawrence? This was the game where he really announced his arrival. 30 points from just 17 shots led the Niners to an 86-73 victory.

Everything is coming together

The arrival of Lawrence really seems to be the final part of the puzzle for the Niners. His athleticism is a real addition to the calmness of Ronald Polite and the sharp shooting of Kino Lily Jr in the Surrey backcourt. Michael Graham and Isiah Small have forged a real partnership at the top end of the court. All of this means the Niners’ bench now looks stronger than it has for many, many years.

If Haydn Ling can bring consistency to his game, he will be a brilliant backup to Graham at the five spot. The years of experience gathered by Tayo Ogedengbe and Andrew Lawrence bring a real calmness when required. Throw the defensive tenacity and obvious scoring threat of Nedas into the mix, and suddenly the Niners bench can match up with most teams.

Where does all of this leave Owen Koonce? The American has been plagued by injury in his short tenure in Surrey. It would be unlike Surrey to cut a player, but it does seem tough to picture his role in this rotation. Hopefully, we get the chance to see him fulfil his potential.

Three wins in a row for the 89ers! In my first year supporting Surrey, the team only managed two wins all season. Currently sitting in 7th place in the league standings with 7 wins and 8 losses. In a previous article, I said finding consistency would be the key to this team thriving. Since the turn of the year, the key to consistency has been found.

How far can this team go? The answer is unknown, but one thing is for certain: it’s going to be a lot of fun to watch!