Tina Charles prepares to shoot at the free-throw line.

Recap: Rhythm Defeats Eclipse in Close Contest, 104-101

Eric Rhew

Feb 21, 2026

NASHVILLE — Rhythm used a pair of lay-ups from guards Zia Cooke and Kaitlyn Chen in the final 47 seconds of regulation to secure a 104-101 victory over Eclipse in the first game of Saturday night’s Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball doubleheader at Nashville Municipal Auditorium.

The win elevated Rhythm’s Week Three record to 2-1, while Eclipse dipped to 1-2.

One of five Rhythm players in double figures, Cooke earned MVP 2 honors and 548 leaderboard points after scoring 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting from the field with four rebounds and four assists.

Center Tina Charles garnered MVP 3 distinction after pouring in a game-high 24 points with nine rebounds. Charles converted 8-of-15 field goal attempts in addition to a perfect 7-for-7 effort at the free throw line while grabbing a game-high nine rebounds.

Chen finished with 18 points after shooting 7-for-14 from the floor, while guard Rebekah Gardner added 13 points with five assists and five rebounds. Forward Isabelle Harrison tallied a season-best 17 points after making 5-of-8 field goal attempts, including all three of her three-point tries, while going 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

Forward NaLyssa Smith anchored six Eclipse players in double figures with 21 points to earn MVP 1 plaudits in addition to 337 leaderboard points. She was 10-for-16 from the field while tallying six rebounds.

Forward Alissa Pili scored 16 points, while guard Shey Peddy finished with 15 points and five rebounds.

KEY MOMENT

After Eclipse took a 101-100 lead on a Peddy lay-up with 1:49 remaining, Cooke reclaimed the advantage on a lay-up with 46.2 seconds left. Chen followed with a lay-up with 18.1 seconds remaining to extend the advantage to 104-101.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Gardner rose back into the No. 1 position on the leaderboard with 4,290 points after concluding Week Three with a 495-point effort in Rhythm’s victory. Charles, meanwhile, moved into third place in the league standings after collecting a game-high 638 leaderboard points.

ECLIPSE NOTES

Forward NaLyssa Smith, who has scored in double figures in 8-of-9 games this season, registered her 13th career game with 20 or more points.
Forward Alissa Pili has reached double figures in scoring in 5-of-6 outings since joining the league roster prior to Week Two.
Guard Shey Peddy extended her double-digit scoring streak to six consecutive games after chipping in 15 points in her Week Three finale.
Guard Ariel Atkins tallied 14 points to finish in double figures for the fifth time in seven games this season.
Forward Teana Muldrow has finished in double figures in 6-of-9 contests this season after contributing 10 points with three rebounds on Saturday night.
Guard Kia Nurse authored her eighth double-digit scoring performance in nine games this season following an 11-point showing.
Forward Alysha Clark dished out a career-high seven assists to become the third player in the league with seven or more assists in a game this season.

RHYTHM NOTES

Rhythm initiated a captain’s challenge with 2:17 remaining in the fourth quarter on a defensive foul called against guard Rebekah Gardner, which was unsuccessful.
Rhythm converted its first 22 free throw attempts before guard Zia Cooke missed an ‘and-one’ opportunity with 46.2 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter … The squad finished with a 22-for-23 success rate in the victory.
Rhythm defeated Eclipse by three points, marking just the second time this season that a game has been decided by three points or less … Glow edged Rhythm by an 80-78 count on Wednesday in the Week Three opener.
Guard Rebekah Gardner moved her captain’s record to 5-1 on the season with Saturday’s victory.
Gardner authored her sixth straight game with double-digit scoring after tallying 13 points on Saturday night.
Center Tina Charles registered her eighth game with 10 or more points, including her sixth outing with 15 or more points.
Charles ranks second in the league after collecting her fifth Game MVP award of the season, including her third certificate in the last four games
Guard Kaitlyn Chen has scored in double figures in five consecutive games.
Forward Isabelle Harrison fashioned her 44th career game in double figures, which ranks second in league history.
Guard Zia Cooke has scored 10 or more points in all nine games this season … Guard Odyssey Sims is the only other player in the league to finish in double figures in every possible game this year.