Recap: Team Gray Uses Last-Second Heroics to Edge Team Sims, 87-86

Eric Rhew

Mar 07, 2024

DALLAS — Guard Allisha Gray scored a career-high 32 points, including 21 in the first half, to power Team Gray past Team Sims for an 87-86 victory to complete Thursday’s Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball doubleheader at Fair Park Coliseum.

Gray, who scored 30 or more points for the second time in her last three games, garnered Game MVP distinction for the ninth consecutive time. The former South Carolina product shot 11-for-24 from the field and was perfect in seven free throw attempts while adding six assists and four rebounds.

Center Kalani Brown, who scored the game-winning points to cap off a 24-point performance, was honored as the MVP 2 selection. Brown was also perfect in eight free throws along with an 8-of-13 effort from the field and grabbed seven rebounds en route to 639 leaderboard points.

Guard Air Hearn matched her Athletes Unlimited career high with 20 points, connecting on 7-of-18 shots from the floor along with sinking all three of her free throws. She also equaled her career high with eight rebounds.

The loss overshadowed a career night for guard Odyssey Sims, who became the fifth player in Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball history to score 40 or more points in a game. Sims, who secured MVP 3 accolades, finished with a career-high 40 points after making 13-of-24 field goal attempts, including a 3-for-6 effort from long range, and 11-of-14 free throws.

Forward/center Laeticia Amihere collected the first double-double of her brief Athletes Unlimited career with 18 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, while guard Kierstan Bell added a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.

KEY MOMENT

After Team Sims took an 86-85 lead on a Sims lay-up with eight seconds remaining, Brown was fouled with 1.6 seconds left and sank two free throws to reclaim a one-point edge for Team Gray. Sims had one final chance to give her team the victory, but her last-second attempt was short.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Gray reclaimed the top spot on the league leaderboard and owns a 402-point advantage over guard Tiffany Mitchell after Thursday’s action. Brown moved up four spots to sixth place, while Hearn stands 10th after rising nine positions with her effort.

NOTES OF INTEREST

Team Sims initiated a captain’s challenge on a foul called against guard Kelsey Mitchell with 8:50 remaining in the third quarter, which was successful … Teams are now 4-for-8 in captain’s challenges this season.
Team Gray and Team Sims combined to make their first 31 free throws before guard Zia Cooke missed the first of two foul shots with 5:37 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Thursday’s nightcap featured 24 lead changes, setting a new record for the most lead changes in a game in league history … Team Sims and Team Bell combined for 23 lead changes on March 17, 2023 to establish the previous standard.
Team Gray and Team Sims played in the second game in league history to be decided by a single point … On March 24, 2023, Team Smith eked out a 98-97 victory over Team Harrison.
Gray has now scored 20 or more points in eight of her last nine games, including the last seven in a row … She has also tallied 600 or more leaderboard points in all four games this season.
Gray also holds the distinction of being the first player in league history to win their first four games as a team captain.
Guard Kelsey Mitchell, who tallied nine points in the loss for Team Sims, has made at least one three-pointer in 29 of her 30 career Athletes Unlimited contests.
Sims has posted 10 career games with 30 or more points, extending her league record.
Sims also became the first player in league history to surpass 13,000 career leaderboard points, closing the night with 13,414 points.
Hearn now needs just 229 points to become the sixth player in league history to reach 10,000 career leaderboard points … She also needs 110 win points to become the first player with 7,000 or more career win points.
Bell notched the fourth double-double of her Athletes Unlimited career.
Amihere’s 14 rebounds are the most by any player in a game this season.