Jack Burnell’s buzzer beater sees Storm take down the Dragons in Nelson-Henry's final game

A Jack Burnell three-pointer on the buzzer proved the difference between Hemel Storm and Yorkshire Dragons as the hosts emerged 89-86 winners at the Hemel Hempstead Leisure Centre.

In celebration of a fantastic three seasons spent with Storm, Darien Nelson-Henry led the scorers with 23 points and nine rebounds, whilst three other players saw double figures with their points. After being presented with a parting gift by Storm Director of Basketball Jon Burnell, Nelson-Henry put on an inspiring performance inside the arc.

Despite shooting 50% of his free throws, the centre was able to assert his dominance inside the paint, scoring 75% of his two-point attempts. Storm’s number 10 was key to many vital plays throughout the game, including an and-one to tie the game in the final minutes of a competitive matchup.

In what is two weeks of celebrating two fantastic servants to Storm before their departures, it was fitting that hometown hero Jack Burnell would score the buzzer beater to secure the victory for Storm. In his 10th senior year at the club, his shot sparked bedlam in an atmospheric StormDome. In a game where the lead grew no higher than seven points, Burnell ensured that Storm would find themselves on the right end of another competitive matchup.

The first quarter saw both teams begin to show their qualities as the fast-paced, yet methodical, approach showed as points began to tick over instantly. Whilst three-pointers from Brayden Inger and Matt Norman extended Storm’s lead, it was the Dragons duo of Corey Johnson and Jordan Jefferson who proved the most threatening beyond the arc. It was Johnson who registered a remarkable 16 points alone in this quarter, which Storm had to contain for the rest of the game as his buzzer beater trimmed the deficit to 29-28 in the home side’s favour heading into the second quarter.

In what proved to be a common theme throughout the game, the second quarter proved to be a tight matchup between two strong teams. After Coach Tom Baker was forced into an early timeout after five unanswered Logan Rooney points, Storm began to find their points from driving to the basket. Kai Walker was a key asset to Storm as his ability to secure offensive rebounds, dive on loose balls and gain points off the dribble kept the hosts within touching distance, despite the Dragons edging the quarter and going into the half-time break leading 46-47.

After the interval, it was almost the same as the beginning of the game as Storm began to extend their lead further, with efforts from Nelson-Henry, Norman and two dunks from Sam Newman showed a glimpse of the home side pulling away. However, the visitors continued to provide a threat as Jefferson started to find his range from beyond the arc to put the Dragons back in the lead. The lead swung back and forth throughout the third period, but both teams were unable to be separated, with the score at 65-65 heading into the final 10 minutes.

With the scores tied up, the final period of the game was a game of who could execute on their possessions, as the atmosphere grew with every minute ticking down on the game clock. Whilst Storm took an initial lead, the Dragons were swift to shift momentum in their favour, utilising the threats of both Jefferson and Johnson. With the hosts down by six points with three minutes left, a pair of three-pointers from Inger and Norman trimmed the deficit to just a single possession before Nelson-Henry tied the game up with an and-one as the game clock showed 30 seconds remaining. After baskets came at either end following the resulting free throw, Storm used the remainder of the game clock to work the ball to Burnell, who created space before knocking down a three pointer to the sound of the final buzzer, which sent the StormDome into bedlam, winning the game 89-86.

What started as a game as an initial celebration of Nelson-Henry’s exemplary service to Storm, turned into a game of many celebrations after Burnell’s winner. This game was an outstanding battle between two teams with huge quality throughout their roster. Whilst the Dragons continue with their playoff hopes, Storm can take many positives once again as they showed the ability to compete with and defeat a top team within the division.

Check out the photos from the game here.

Next Saturday sees Hemel Storm host Derby Trailblazers in what is the final game of the season and a last opportunity to see Jack Burnell in action after spending 14 years at the club. After this week’s game-winning shot, the three-point specialist will be looking to finish on a high as Storm host yet another playoff team. Make sure to secure your tickets using the Fanbase platform as Tom Baker and his men look to end the season with a victory.

There will be a presentation of this season’s awards after the game so please stay back to show your support.

Written by Ollie Heathcote