Recap: Team Sims Rallies to Defeat Team Harrison 84-81

Sims led all players with 26 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the floor and matched a season high with 12 assists to earn MVP 1 honors and 659 leaderboard points. The former Baylor standout also added four steals and four rebounds in the victory.

Bell, meanwhile, poured in a season-high 18 points on an 8-of-16 effort from the field while pulling down six rebounds to capture MVP 3 laurels and 387 leaderboard points.

Forward Isabelle Harrison went 10-of-16 from the floor to match her season high with 23 points and grabbed 12 caroms to secure her second double-double of the season. The Nashville native also tallied three assists with a block and a steal to take MVP 2 honors in the defeat.

Guard Evina Westbrook pitched in 11 points, while forward Lydia Rivers led the team with eight rebounds in Team Sims’ victory.

Guard Lexie Brown dropped in 19 points for Team Harrison in the loss with four rebounds. Forward Alissa Pili added 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

KEY MOMENT

Trailing by a 47-43 count at halftime, Team Sims jumped in front at 50-49 with 6:19 left in the third quarter and worked to a 23-13 edge in the frame to take a lead it never relinquished. A three-pointer from Pili with 33 seconds left in regulation brought the score to 82-79, but Team Sims held off a late scoring effort to earn the victory.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Sims retakes the top spot on the season leaderboard with 4,854 points and holds a 100-point advantage over forward Maddy Siegrist. Center Elizabeth Williams joins Sims in the top five as she holds the No. 5 spot with 3,204 points.

NOTES OF INTEREST

• Thursday’s game between Team Harrison and Team Sims marked the 100th all-time contest in Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball history.

• Harrison and Sims faced each other as opposing captains for the fourth time in their AU Pro Basketball careers on Thursday night … The all-time series moved to 2-2 after Sims snapped a two-game losing streak between the two AU veterans.

• Both games of Thursday’s doubleheader featured a team winning the contest despite dropping three quarters … Team Caldwell defeated Team Siegrist in Thursday’s opener despite losing the second, third and fourth quarters.

• Sims and guard Taj Cole became the first players in AU Pro Basketball history to appear in 50 games.

• Teams wearing Blue jerseys are now 1-7 this season.

• Sims authored the 13th double-double of her AU Pro Basketball career, moving past forward NaLyssa Smith and guard Crystal Bradford for the most in league history.

• Sims also extended her league record by dishing out 10 or more assists for the 12th time of her career, including the second instance this season.

• Sims has scored 20 or more points in 11 of her last 12 games dating back to last season, including 7-of-8 games this season … She has scored at least 20 points in 36-of-50 career AU Pro Basketball games … Sims joins Siegrist as the only players to score in double-digits in all eight games this year.

• Sims extended her streak of consecutive free throws made to 36 before missing the first of two free throws with 7:16 left in the third quarter … Her last missed free throw prior to the streak came against Team Colson on February 8.

• Harrison’s 23-point, 12-rebound performance secured the 11th double-double of her AU Pro Basketball career, which is the fourth-most in league history.

• Harrison reached the 20-point mark for the 20th time in her AU career … She joins Sims and Kelsey Mitchell as the only players in the league’s four-year history to tally at least 20 points in a contest at least 20 times.

• Bell finished in double-digit scoring for the sixth time this season, including her fourth consecutive game.

• Sims received Game MVP honors for the 24th time in her AU Pro Basketball career, tying Mitchell for the most awards in league history.

• Harrison’s MVP 2 selection marked her 19th Game MVP nod to move into third place on the league’s all-time list.

• In addition, Harrison became the fourth player in league history to surpass 1,000 career MVP points … She joins Sims, Mitchell and in the exclusive club.

GAME MVPS

• #1 – Odyssey Sims (Team Sims), +90 points
• #2 – Isabelle Harrison (Team Harrison), +60 points
• #3 – Kierstan Bell (Team Sims), +30 points