Recap: Jordin Canada scores 21 points in AU Hoops debut

After squandering a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter, allowing Team Purple to get within one behind six straight points from captain Taj Cole, Team Gold closed the game on a 7-1 run to provide the final margin.

Canada and Team Gold captain Natasha Cloud moved into third and fourth place on the overall leaderboard with 520 and 431 points, respectively.

Canada, who took home the 2nd place MVP of the game, finished one rebound shy of completing a double-double as she grabbed nine boards off the glass. Cloud contributed with 15 points, while G’mrice Davis added 13.

Crystal Bradford authored her first double-double, scoring 21 points and grabbing 14 rebounds for Team Cole in her AU debut, good enough to get MVP 1 honors. Allisha Gray also had an impressive first-ever AU appearance, as she finished with 21 points to grab the 3rd place MVP. Cole added 12 points, while Ty Young chipped in 11.

Team Cloud dominated with bench scoring, outscoring Team Cole’s reserves, 19-3, while also capitalizing on miscues behind a 17-6 advantage with points off turnovers.

Despite a poor shooting performance from 3-point range (3 of 17, 17.6%), Team Cloud was 29 of 63 from the floor (46.0%) in the game. Team Cole finished 28 of 77 from the field (36.4%), including a disappointing 28.0% from 3-point range on 7 of 25 shooting.

After Team Cole opened the game on a 6-0 run, Team Cloud answered quickly with five points, all scored by Davis. After the teams traded baskets through the middle part of the first quarter, Team Cloud closed the period on an 8-1 run to take a 17-15 lead. Notably, Team Cloud had a balanced attack with five scorers and nothing from 3-point range, while Team Cole also had five scorers, with two buckets coming from 3-point range.

Team Cole carried its momentum into the second quarter, scoring eight of the first 13 points of the period to open a five-point lead, 29-23. Canada and Cloud took over from there, combining to score Team Gold’s next 11 points, as Canada scored six points and Cloud added five. With a 13-9 run to close the quarter, Team Cloud took a 38-29 lead into the locker room at halftime.

While Team Cloud finished the half hitting 14 of 33 from the floor (42.4%), Team Cole struggled to find an offensive groove, hitting just 28.9% from the field. (11 of 38).

It was a game of runs out of intermission, starting with Team Cole, which scored the first seven points of the third quarter to close the gap to two, at 38-36. Team Cloud responded with six straight points to extend its lead back to eight, at 44-36, and Cole’s troops replied with the next six points, once again making it a two-point affair, at 44-42.

A 9-4 run by Team Gold put Cloud’s squad ahead 53-46, as it kept the intensity the rest of the way. Team Cole would win the quarter to earn 50 points for every player, but Team Cloud headed into the final period with a 62-55 lead.

GAME MVPS

• #1 – Crystal Bradford (Team Cole, +90)
• #2 – Jordin Canada (Team Cloud, +60)
• #3 – Allisha Gray (Team Cole, +30)