Recap: Allisha Gray Scores a Career-High 42 Points in 112-102 Victory

Led by its captain, Team Gray improved to 2-0 in the penultimate week of the season while handing Team Mitchell its second loss in a row.

Gray, who netted 38 points in Team Gray’s win over Team Sims on Thursday, eclipsed her career high by scoring 42 points, including 23 in the second half. The former South Carolina standout converted 16-of-32 field goal attempts, including a 4-for-10 performance from long range, while sinking six of her eight free throws.

Gray was named MVP 1 for the fourth time this season after adding seven rebounds and four assists, ending the night with 794 leaderboard points.

Guard Kelsey Mitchell followed in MVP 2 fashion after contributing 24 points and five rebounds, while guard Sydney Colson finished the MVP triumvirate by securing MVP 3 honors on the strength of 20 points, including an 8-of-9 effort from the field, and nine assists.

Forward Maddy Siegrist led five Team Mitchell players in double figures with 27 points, shooting 11-for-19 from the field, while grabbing nine rebounds. Center Adut Bulgak added 16 points with 13 rebounds for her third double-double of the season, while team captain Tiffany Mitchell chipped in 22 points.

KEY MOMENT

Trailing by an 81-74 margin, Team Gray scored 17 consecutive points, including seven from Gray, to claim a 91-81 advantage with 9:07 left in the fourth quarter. Team Mitchell closed the gap to six points with 3:46 remaining before eight consecutive Team Gray points sealed the outcome.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Gray, who became the first player in the league with 5,000 leaderboard points this season, carries a 914-point advantage into Sunday’s Week Three finale against guard Natasha Cloud. Colson, meanwhile, rises five spots in the league standings after her career-high 674-point performance in Saturday’s victory.

NOTES OF INTEREST

• Team Gray initiated a captain’s challenge with 2:19 remaining in the third quarter on a foul called against guard Allisha Gray, which was unsuccessful … Team Mitchell also initiated a captain’s challenge on a foul against Bulgak with 58.5 seconds remaining in the third period, which was also unsuccessful … Teams are 9-for-25 in captain’s challenges this season.

• Team Gray and Team Mitchell combined to make 28 three-pointers in Saturday’s nightcap, matching the league single-game record … Team Cole and Team Sims knocked down 28 triples on February 24, 2023 to set the initial standard.

• Team Gray and Team Mitchell also established a new Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball single-game record by teaming up to register 60 assists in Saturday’s game … The previous record was 58 helpers between Team Cloud and Team Hawkins on February 26, 2022.

• Team Gray’s 31 assists in Saturday’s victory also share the league single-game record … Team Smith dished out 31 assists against Team Sims on March 25, 2023.

• Team Gray’s 17 made three-pointers equaled the league’s single-game record set by Team Sims against Team Cole on February 24, 2023 … The squad’s 12 made triples in the opening 20 minutes also signal a new league record for a single half.

• Kelsey Mitchell earned the 21st Game MVP award of her Athletes Unlimited career, extending her league record … Gray, meanwhile, received Game MVP honors for the 14th time in her career, including a league-best seventh time this season.

• Gray’s career-high 794 leaderboard points rank as the fifth-highest single-game total in Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball history, including the third-highest mark this season … She joins forwards Tianna Hawkins and Naz Hillmon as the only players in league history with multiple games of 700 or more leaderboard points.

• Colson’s 674 leaderboard points are a personal single-game high … She becomes the 19th player in league history to amass 600 or more leaderboard points in a single game.

• Gray set a new Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball single-game record with her 32 field goal attempts, besting the previous mark of 31 set by guard/forward DiJonai Carrington against Team Hawkins on February 18, 2022.

• Gray has scored 25 or more points in six of her eight games this season.

• Forward Emily Engstler, who finished the night with eight points and 12 rebounds, also tallied two blocks to set a new league record for rejections in a single season … Engstler has 23 blocked shots through eight games, besting the previous mark of 22 blocks by forward Theresa Plaisance in 2023.

• Plasiance set a personal career high with nine assists, just missing a double-double after adding 10 rebounds in the win on Saturday night.

GAME MVPS

• #1 – Allisha Gray (Team Gray, +90)
• #2 – Kelsey Mitchell (Team Gray, +60)
• #3 – Sydney Colson (Team Gray, +30)