Recap: Naz Hillmon tallies record 834 leaderboard points in 87-76 victory

The record was previously held by Tianna Hawkins (790)

Eric Rhew

Mar 03, 2023

DALLAS — Wearing the purple jersey has been lucky for Athletes Unlimited Basketball players this season until Team Hillmon took the court on Friday night against Team Harrison inside Fair Park Coliseum.

But, led by a record-setting performance from its captain Naz Hillmon, Team Hillmon provided the purple jersey with its first victory after an 87-76 verdict over Team Harrison. The win allowed Team Hillmon to even its record at 1-1, while Team Harrison dipped to 0-2.

Hillmon, who fashioned her first Athletes Unlimited double-double with 33 points and 12 rebounds, set a league single-game record by accruing an impressive 834 leaderboard points after earning MVP 1 honors and leading her squad to a sweep of the 350 win points.

The former Michigan star sank 15-of-19 field goal attempts and went 3-for-4 at the free throw line en route to racking up 394 stat points in 36 minutes.

Guard Allisha Gray secured MVP 2 recognition on the strength of 18 points and nine rebounds. Gray, who finished with 601 leaderboard points, went 6-for-13 from the field and converted 6-of-9 free throws with five assists and three steals.

Forward Theresa Plaisance completed the MVP sweep for Team Hillmon with 13 points and seven rebounds, securing MVP 3 honors and 523 leaderboard points.

Forward Jasmine Walker paced five players in double figures for Team Harrison with a season-high 17 points, shooting 6-for-11 from the field. Walker also added six rebounds in 33 minutes and secured 173 leaderboard points.

KEY MOMENT

Trailing by a 50-49 margin with 7:49 remaining in the third quarter, Team Hillmon rattled off nine consecutive points, including five points from Gray, to secure a 58-50 advantage it did not relinquish.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Hillmon’s record-setting night vaulted her five spots into the top position on the leaderboard pending the results of Friday’s second game between Team Smith and Team Sims. Gray also elevated her spot on the league standings by 10 spots with her effort on Friday.

GAME NOTES

Team Hillmon became the first team donning a purple jersey to earn a win this season … The purple jersey had lost its first four games before Friday’s triumph.
Team Hillmon and Team Harrison combined to make nine three-pointers in Friday’s opener, upping the league’s season total to 124 triples through nine 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 Hillmon became the fourth team in Athletes Unlimited Basketball history to secure a sweep of the win points, including the second team this season … Team Sims swept all 350 win points in its Feb. 26 victory over Team Cloud.
Hillmon’s 834 leaderboard points eclipse the previous Athletes Unlimited Basketball single-game record of 790 points, which was set by forward Tianna Hawkins on Feb. 5, 2022, against Team Cloud.
Hillmon authored her third double-digit scoring output with a season-high 33 points, including 14 markers in the opening stanza … Hillmon’s 14 points in the first quarter are tied for the most by a player in a single period this season.
Hillmon, who posted the first 30-point game of her brief Athletes Unlimited career, became the third player this season to reach the 30-point mark, joining forward Isabelle Harrison and guard Odyssey Sims, who owns a pair of 30-point efforts.
Guard Natasha Cloud had a streak of 14 consecutive made free throws snapped when she missed the first of two opportunities with 9:07 left in the fourth quarter … It was her first miss since going 6-for-8 in the season opener on Feb. 23 against Team Cole.
Harrison extended her streak of consecutive double-digit scoring outputs to nine games … She narrowly missed a double-double after grabbing nine rebounds
Guard Courtney Williams registered her fifth career double-double in Athletes Unlimited play after finishing with 13 points and a season-high 11 rebounds … Williams also dished out six assists in 35 minutes.
Plaisance reached double figures in scoring for the third time this season, including her second game in the row.
Team Hillmon outrebounded Team Harrison by a 47-35 margin, including a 14-8 count on the offensive glass … The squad used those 14 rebounds to score 19 second chance points.
There were 10 ties and eight lead changes in the contest.