​Two dramatic wins for Storm

​A buzzer-beater from Veron Eze meant a 102-101 home win over league leaders Derby Trailblazers on Saturday, before Storm then won 97-100 at Reading Rockets a day later.

On Saturday, after Storm had blown a game high 19-point lead and Hakeem Sylla sustained an injury in the third quarter, they left it until the last 0.9 seconds to keep any hope of a back-to-back league title alive.

Storm led 30-21, 53-45 and and 80-68 respectively at the end of each quarter, but with 3.49 left to play were eight points behind. That was reduced to one point with 2.3 seconds to go.

Storm had committed an expected foul with 1.6 left to play. But an offensive foul off the resulting inbound led to a Storm possession.

Sam Newman threw up the alley-oop to Taylor Johnson, with the clock started as soon as the American guard caught it. The ball was deflected by Charlie Brown with the game clock expiring.

With 0.9 seconds left to play it was now or never for Storm. Newman inbounded the ball to Eze who caught the ball and put the shot up. Rolling around the rim, the crowd held its breath. The shot had landed, lifting the roof off the StormDome and sending the Storm crowd into raptures.

On Sunday, Storm followed up the drama of the previous evening with a second astonishing victory on the weekend, away in Reading.

Darien Nelson-Henry starred with 33 points in what was a thrilling, frenetic tie played at a staggering pace.

It was a phenomenal effort from the Storm side, missing Hakeem Sylla courtesy of an injury sustained the previous night, managing to push on and find an extra gear despite a physically exhausting two games.

Rockets edged the first quarter 28-27, but Storm felt back to lead 45-57 at the interval. Tied at 81-81 with four minutes to play, the visitors eventually did enough to take another dramatic win.

Nelson-Henry had 33 by the end, Brayden Inger 21 and Sam Newman continued to general the court expertly with another ten assists.

Storm march on to this weekend’s assignment as they prepare to travel to Birmingham.