Recap: Four players net double figures for Team Sims to defeat Team Smith 93-87

Eric Rhew

Mar 04, 2023

DALLAS — Team Sims used four players in double figures and a fast start to earn its second win in a row, a 93-87 victory over Team Smith to close out Friday night’s Athletes Unlimited Basketball doubleheader at Fair Park Coliseum.

The win allowed Team Sims to remain unbeaten at 2-0, while Team Smith saw its record fall to 1-1.

The guard tandem of Jordin Canada and Odyssey Sims sparked Team Sims to the victory, combining for 46 points, 14 assists and 16 rebounds. Canada claimed MVP 1 recognition after netting a season-high 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field along with eight rebounds and five assists.

Sims, meanwhile, was named MVP 2 following a night that saw her score 21 points with nine assists and eight rebounds. She also moved back into the league leaderboard’s top spot with 2,700 points on the season.

Guard Lexie Hull added 13 points and six rebounds, while guard Kierstan Bell chipped in 11 points with two rebounds.

Team Smith was paced by guard Kelsey Mitchell’s game-high 27 points. The former Ohio State standout, who secured MVP 3 notice, made 10-of-18 shots from the field, including a 3-for-7 effort from long range, along with making 4-of-5 free throws. She finished with 294 leaderboard points.

KEY MOMENT

Team Sims never trailed in the contest and built an 18-point advantage midway through the third quarter before Team Smith mounted a comeback attempt. A free throw by guard Crystal Bradford with 3:57 remaining trimmed the margin to 82-80, but Team Smith was unable to get any closer.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

The win allowed Sims to reclaim the top spot on the league leaderboard following her 572-point performance. She enters Saturday’s Week Two finale with a 261-point cushion over forward Naz Hillmon and a 417-point advantage over forward NaLyssa Smith.

GAME NOTES

Each team initiated a captain’s challenge during the game … Team Sims challenged a foul call against Hull with 7:08 remaining in the fourth quarter … The challenge was unsuccessful and the call stood … Team Smith challenged a foul call against Smith with 1:45 left in the final period, which was upheld.
Teams are now 6-for-13 (.462) in captain’s challenges this season.
Team Smith and Team Sims teamed up to sink 14 three-pointers in Friday’s nightcap, upping the league’s season total to 138 triples through 10 games … Aspiration is committed to planting 10 trees for every three-pointer made during the season as part of its ‘Trees for Threes’ initiative.
Canada provided the first buzzer-beating shot of the season when she converted a heave from midcourt as the third quarter ended … It is the seventh buzzer-beater shot in two seasons of Athletes Unlimited Basketball.
Canada also reached the 20-point plateau for the second time this season following her season-high 25 points … She had 21 points in the season opener on Feb. 23 against Team Cole.
Smith extended her streak of double-doubles to begin the season with her fifth in a row following a 20-point, 13-rebound performance … Smith’s five straight double-double efforts mark the second-longest streak in league history behind forward Tianna Hawkins’ eight straight double-doubles to end the 2022 campaign.
Sims ran her streak of consecutive double-digit scoring efforts to 13 games after her 21-point performance on Friday night.
Guard Sydney Colson has scored in double figures in each of her last three games following a 10-point effort against Team Sims … She was 4-for-8 from the field, including a 2-of-5 effort from three-point range.
Mitchell extended her streak of consecutive double-digit scoring performances to 16 in a row … She has scored in double figures in every game of her Athletes Unlimited career.
Mitchell also owns nine career 20-point performances, including the last four in a row.
Mitchell also upped her league record with the 13th Game MVP award of her Athletes Unlimited career, including her fourth this season.
Bell has four double-digit scoring outings in her five appearances this season after registering 11 points on Friday night on 5-of-7 shooting from the field.
Hull has three double-digit scoring outputs in her five games this season … Hull finished Friday night’s game with 13 points after going 4-for-9 from the field in addition to sinking all four free throws.
Bradford posted her fourth double-double in five games this season with 10 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.