Recap: Courtney Williams nets game-winner Team Harrison in 109-107 OT thriller

Team Harrison salvaged a victory in its weekly finale and closed the week at 1-2, while Team Sims suffered its first setback to complete the slate with a 2-1 record.

Guard Courtney Williams led Team Harrison to the victory en route to securing MVP 1 honors. The former South Florida star tallied 20 points with a game-high 10 assists and finished the night with a season-high 551 leaderboard points.

Team captain Isabelle Harrison followed with an MVP 3 performance, scoring a team-high 29 points on 12-of-21 shooting from the field along with going 5-for-8 at the free throw line. Harrison, who tallied 499 leaderboard points in the victory, just missed registering a double-double after grabbing a team-high nine rebounds before fouling out in the Elam Ending period.

Guard Odyssey Sims paced her squad in the loss by netting a career-high 37 points on 10-of-25 shooting from the field and an impressive 15-for-17 at the free throw line. The Baylor alum also chipped in eight rebounds and eight assists to secure MVP 2 honors in the setback.

Guard Kierstan Bell added 18 points and 11 rebounds for Team Sims, securing her first double-double in Athletes Unlimited action.

KEY MOMENT

After Harrison forced the Elam Ending period with four seconds left in overtime on a free throw, the teams traded scores three times before Williams’ jumper in the lane completed the comeback for Team Harrison, which trailed by as many as 13 points in the opening stanza.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Despite winning the game and tallying 499 points against Team Sims, Harrison finished Week Two in fifth place on the leaderboard and will not repeat as a captain next week. Guard Jordin Canada elevated her spot on the leaderboard by five positions after collecting 184 points in the loss for Team Sims, while Sims remains in the top spot to begin Week Three.

GAME NOTES

• Saturday’s game between Team Harrison and Team Sims marked the first contest in Athletes Unlimited Basketball history that required the “Elam Ending,” which was instituted for the 2023 season.

• Saturday’s Week Two finale also marked the fifth overtime game in Athletes Unlimited Basketball history, including the second contest needing extra time this year … Team Williams outlasted Team Sims, 96-93, in the first game of the season on Feb. 23.

• There were three challenges between the two teams in Saturday’s game … Team Sims challenged a foul called against forward G’mrice Davis with 4:38 remaining in the second quarter … The challenge was successful and the foul was rescinded … Team Harrison, meanwhile, challenged a foul call against guard Taj Cole with 1:53 remaining in the fourth quarter, which was unsuccessful … In overtime, Team Sims challenged a foul called against guard Bell with 4.1 seconds remaining, which was unsuccessful.

• Teams are now 8-for-18 (.444) in captain’s challenges through 12 games this season.

• Team Harrison and Team Sims combined to convert 12 three-pointers in Saturday’s Week Two finale … In 12 games this season, there have been a total of 164 triples made … Aspiration is committed to planting 10 trees for every three-pointer this season as part of its ‘Trees for Threes’ initiative.

• Team Sims set a league season high with 12 steals against Team Harrison on Saturday … In addition, Canada had a season-high six thefts, which are one shy of the league single-game record by guard/forward DiJonai Carrington on Feb. 5, 2022, against Team Brown.

• Sims set an Athletes Unlimited Basketball single-game record with 17 free throw attempts on Saturday night, besting the 16 tries by guard Natasha Cloud against Team Brown on Feb. 25, 2022.

• Sims’ 15 made free throws are the third-highest single-game total in Athletes Unlimited Basketball history … She finished just one make shy of equaling the record set by Carrington against Team Sims on Feb. 19, 2022 and matched by Cloud against Team Brown on Feb. 25, 2022.

• Bell authored her fifth double-digit scoring effort in six outings this year, including the last three games in a row.

• Canada has five double-digit performances in six contests after finishing with 17 points … She also added five rebounds and five assists.

• Sims ran her streak of consecutive double-digit scoring games to 14 in a row with her 37 points on Saturday night … Sims has tallied 10 or more points in 20-of-21 career Athletes Unlimited games.

• Williams posted her 15th career double-digit scoring output with 20 points … It is the fifth time in six games this season the former South Florida guard has tallied 10 or more points.

• Williams also authored her sixth career double-double in Athletes Unlimited play, including her second in a row, after dishing out 10 assists.

• Forward Jasmine Walker finished Saturday’s game with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field along with hitting both of her free throws, marking her fourth straight double-figure scoring game.

• Guard Lexie Hull, who tallied 13 points with six rebounds, five assists and four steals, owns four double-figure scoring games this season.

GAME MVPS

• #1 – Courtney Williams (Team Harrison, +90)
• #2 – Odyssey Sims (Team Sims, +60)
• #3 – Isabelle Harrison (Team Harrison, +30)