Recap: Sims remains No. 1 as Team Sims completes thrilling comeback

Guards Essence Carson and Odyssey Sims combined for 22 points in the final quarter as Team Sims rallied from a 17-point deficit in the final seven minutes to secure a 102-101 victory over Team Smith at Fair Park Coliseum.

The win allowed Team Sims to close Week Four with a 2-1 record, while Team Smith ends the slate with a 1-2 mark.

Carson, who finished with a career-high 21 points, secured MVP 1 honors after making 8-of-14 field goal attempts, including a 3-for-5 effort from three-point range. The Rutgers product collected a season-high 551 leaderboard points in the victory and added a season-high eight rebounds.

Sims, meanwhile, tallied 33 points in the victory after shooting 11-for-17 from the field along with a 10-for-11 showing at the free throw line. She also added four assists and three rebounds while authoring a game-high 580 leaderboard points to keep her spot at the top of the leaderboard.

Guard Jordin Canada claimed MVP 2 recognition after nearly registering a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.

Guard Sydney Colson was named the MVP 3 selection after netting a career-high 24 points with six assists. The Texas A&M product shot 9-for-15 from the field, including a 4-of-6 effort from three-point range, in addition to making both of her free throws.

Forward NaLyssa Smith anchored her squad in the loss with 32 points and 14 rebounds. She converted 10-of-16 field goal attempts in addition to shooting 12-for-15 from the free throw line.

KEY MOMENT

After guard Carson scored to trim the margin to 101-100, guard Courtney Williams forced a jump ball with forward Smith with 7.3 seconds remaining. Sims collected the jump ball and found Canada under the basket for the go-ahead basket with 2.3 ticks left. Team Smith had one final chance to reclaim the lead, but was unable to get the shot off.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Sims and Smith remained in the top two spots on the leaderboard after Saturday’s exciting Week Four finale, while forwards Naz Hillmon and Isabelle Harrison complete the captain quartet for the final week of the season.

GAME NOTES

• Team Smith and Team Sims combined to make 17 three-pointers in Saturday’s opener, running the league’s season total to 362 triples through 24 games … Aspiration is committed to planting 10 trees for every three-pointer made during the season as part of its ‘Trees for Threes’ initiative.

• Team Smith challenged a foul called against guard Lexie Brown with 2:01 left in the fourth quarter … The challenge was successful, moving the league’s success rate this season to 45.2 percent (14-for-31).

• Smith authored her 10th double-double in 12 games this season … She is the second player in league history to post 10 or more double-double efforts in a single season, joining forward Tianna Hawkins … Hawkins had 11 double-doubles en route to winning the inaugural championship last season.

• Smith also registered her 10th game with 20 or more points.

• Guard Kelsey Mitchell eclipsed the Athletes Unlimited Basketball single-season record for three-pointers made after going 4-for-8 in Saturday’s game against Team Sims … Mitchell has knocked down 42 three-pointers through 12 games, surpassing the 39 triples made by guard/forward MeMe Jackson last year.

• Mitchell also reached double figures in scoring for the 11th time in 12 games this season with her 28 points … Mitchell owns 22 double-digit scoring games in her Athletes Unlimited career.

• Colson posted her sixth double-digit scoring effort of the season … She also reached the 20-point mark for the fourth time in her Athletes Unlimited career.

• Williams collected her seventh double-digit scoring effort after closing Week Four with 11 points … Williams added seven rebounds and five assists.

• Forward Jasmine Walker will carry a streak of five consecutive games with 10 or more points into the final week of the season after notching 16 points in Saturday’s contest … She made 5-of-8 field goal attempts, including all three of her three-point attempts, while going 3-for-3 at the free throw line.

• Sims extended her streak of double-digit performances to 20 games in a row … In addition, she reached the 20-point mark for the ninth consecutive contest and the 11th time this year.

• Canada has tallied five or more assists in 10 consecutive games.

GAME MVPS

• #1 – Essence Carson (Team Sims, +90)
• #2 – Jordin Canada (Team Sims, +60)
• #3 – Sydney Colson (Team Smith, +30)