Recap: Siegrist Leads in Comeback Effort Over Team Sims, 84-76

Team Siegrist finished the penultimate week of the campaign at 2-1, while Team Sims dropped to an identical 2-1 mark.

Siegrist led all players with 29 points on 11-of-21 shooting, including 12 points in the third quarter, to guide her team to the victory. The former Villanova standout also grabbed nine rebounds with a pair of steals and a block to capture MVP 1 honors and 742 leaderboard points.

Guard Crystal Bradford registered her fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the victory to earn MVP 2 plaudits and 542 points. She also contributed four assists and four steals.

Forward G’mrice Davis rounded out the Game MVP sweep for Team Siegrist with MVP 3 recognition after pitching in eight points and a career-high 10 rebounds. The Fordham product earned a career-high 497 leaderboard points in the win.

Guard Shey Peddy poured in 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting in the victory for Team Siegrist, which outscored Team Sims by a 46-35 margin after the intermission.

Captain Odyssey Sims registered a team-high 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting from the field and led her squad with nine rebounds and six assists. Meanwhile, guard Evina Westbrook contributed 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting, including six three-point field goals, in the defeat.

KEY MOMENT

Trailing by a 53-48 margin with 5:16 remaining in the third quarter, Team Siegrist mounted an 11-0 run to take a 59-53 advantage with 2:08 left in the period. Seven straight points from guard Kierstan Bell put Team Sims back in front, 60-59, in the final minute of the frame, but back-to-back baskets by Team Siegrist gave it a 63-60 lead it did not relinquish.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Siegrist returns to the top position on the leaderboard with 5,496 points entering the final week of the season, while Sims and Bradford occupy the No. 2 and No. 3 spots with 5,133 points and 3,900 points, respectively. Guard Tyasha Harris holds on to fourth place with 3,727 points heading into the final week.

NOTES OF INTEREST

• Team Sims initiated a captain’s challenge on an out-of-bounds call with 1:33 remaining in the third quarter, which was successful … Teams are now 7-of-20 in captain’s challenges through 18 games this season.
• Team Siegrist posted the largest comeback win of the season after rallying from a 16-point deficit in the first quarter … The margin is tied for the third-largest comeback victory in league history with Team Cloud, which also overcame a 16-point deficit to defeat Team Mitchell, 105-101, in overtime on March 14, 2024.
• Westbrook authored her fifth double-digit scoring effort with a season-high 21 points … It also marked the second time she has surpassed the 20-point mark in her AU career … She also poured in 21 points against Team Smith on March 15, 2023.
• Westbrook, who entered Sunday’s Week Three finale with just six made three-pointers in eight games, drained six triples to match the league’s season high … Guard Kia Nurse also drained six three-pointers against Team Bell on February 5 and against Team Siegrist on February 12.
• Teams wearing the Orange jersey improved to 7-2 this season, including a 5-1 mark when led by Siegrist.
• Sims surpassed the 20-point plateau for the 37th time in her AU Pro Basketball career, including the eighth instance in nine games this season … She joins Siegrist as the only players in the league to hit double figures in all nine contests this year.
• Siegrist amassed 20 points for the seventh game this season, including her fifth consecutive outing.
• Bell scored 10 or more points for the seventh time this season, including her fifth straight double-digit effort.
• Bradford is now tied with Sims for the most career double-double games in Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball history after nailing down her 13th career double-double, including the fifth this season.
• Davis pulled down 10 or more rebounds for the first time in her AU Pro Basketball career after besting her previous career high of nine rebounds, which happened three times.
• Peddy recorded her fifth consecutive double-digit scoring output.
• Team Siegrist utilized a 54-26 advantage on points scored in the paint … The 54 points in the paint are the most by a team this year.
• Team Siegrist made just three three-point field goals on Sunday night, which are the fewest by a team this season.
• Siegrist claimed Game MVP honors for the ninth straight outing, tying the league standard for most consecutive Game MVP certificates … She matches Allisha Gray’s mark of nine straight Game MVP selections spanning the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.
• Davis earned the first Game MVP certificate of her AU Pro Basketball career, becoming the 19th different player to earn Game MVP status this season.

GAME MVPS

• #1 – Maddy Siegrist (Team Siegrist, +90)
• #2 – Crystal Bradford (Team Siegrist, +60)
• #3 – G’mrice Davis (Team Siegrist, +30)