Odyssey Sims drives to the hoop.

Recap: Sims, Walker, Bradford combine to lead Team Sims in 80-72 win

© Athletes Unlimited, LLC 2023 / Credit: Jade Hewitt Media
Eric Rhew
Mar 16, 2023

DALLAS — Team Sims used a combined 69 points and 20 rebounds from forward Jasmine Walker and guards Crystal Bradford and Odyssey Sims to open its Week Four slate with an 80-72 victory over Team Hillmon in the nightcap of Wednesday’s Athletes Unlimited Basketball doubleheader at Fair Park Coliseum.

Walker, the game’s MVP 1 selection, authored a season-high 22 points after making 9-of-15 field goal attempts along with both of her free throws. She also tallied two rebounds and finished the night with 541 leaderboard points.

Sims, who registered MVP 2 honors, netted a game-high 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting from the field along with a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line. She retained her lead on the leaderboard with 559 points in the victory and contributed five rebounds and five assists.

Bradford, meanwhile, notched her sixth double-double of the year and claimed MVP 3 distinction following a 14-point, 13-rebound effort in the win. The Central Michigan product led all players with 578 leaderboard points and shot 6-of-7 from the field while knocking down both of her three-point attempts.

Forward Naz Hillmon paced her team in the loss with 19 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

KEY MOMENT

After falling behind by a 36-35 margin with 1:34 left in the second quarter, Team Sims put together an 11-0 run to claim a 46-36 lead it did not relinquish. Sims notched six points to spearhead the rally as Team Hillmon was held scoreless for nearly five minutes.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Sims owns a 402-point advantage over forward NaLyssa Smith on the leaderboard, while Bradford moved into ninth place with 3,587 points through 10 games. Walker improved her position by nine spots and stands 16th in the league standings with 2,554 points.

GAME NOTES

  • Team Sims and Team Hillmon teamed up to make six three-pointers in Wednesday’s contest, upping the league’s season total to 299 triples through 20 games … Aspiration is committed to planting 10 trees for every three-pointer made this season as part of its ‘Trees for Threes’ initiative.

  • Team Hillmon converted just 1-of-20 three-point field goal attempts in Wednesday’s game, marking the fewest made triples by a team in a single game in league history … The squad’s lone three-pointer came from guard Veronica Burton with 8:58 left in the second quarter.

  • Walker posted her seventh double-digit scoring effort in the last eight games with her season-high 20 points.

  • Sims has 18 consecutive double-digit scoring performances following her game-high 25-point effort on Wednesday night … Sims has tallied 10 or more points in 24-of-25 career Athletes Unlimited tilts.

  • Sims also extended her league record with her 17th career game of 20 or more points.

  • Guard Allisha Gray has nine double-digit scoring outputs in 10 games this season after netting 16 points in Wednesday’s setback.

  • Hillmon will carry a streak of seven straight double-digit scoring efforts into Friday’s action after her 19 points against Team Sims.

  • Forward G’mrice Davis eclipsed her season high with nine rebounds against Team Hillmon … Davis also converted 3-of-5 field goal attempts to finish with six points.

  • Guard Natasha Cloud registered her seventh double-digit scoring effort in 10 games this season with 13 points on Wednesday.

GAME MVPS

  • #1 – Jasmine Walker (Team Sims, +90)
  • #2 – Odyssey Sims (Team Sims, +60)
  • #3 – Crystal Bradford (Team Sims, +30)