Friday Games
Vinyl 64 – 63 Laces
Vinyl faced the Laces, who are seeking to retain their second place on the table after losing their last two games, dropping them to third place. The hopeful Laces could not hold down the Vinyl in the fourth quarter despite maintaining a lead building up to the final score of 64 per the rules of the Unrivaled game. Dearica Hamby had a perfect free throw percentage, when fouled, she stepped to the line to give the Vinyl a one-point victory over the Laces. The Vinyl led for a greater part of the game; by the end of the third quarter, the score was 53 – 50. Rhyne Howard had 24 points and Aliyah Boston had 10 rebounds for the Vinyl. Both Alyssa Thomas and Jackie Young had 16 points for the Laces.
Mist 88 – 62 Phantom
The Phantom continues to struggle in the Unrivaled League and currently sits at the bottom of the table, suffering a loss over the weekend to the Mist. The team, which has registered only three wins so far, trailed throughout the game and by the end of the third quarter, the gap had widened to a difference of 20 points. The fourth quarter wasn’t better for the team, scoring only five points. Four players for the Mist had two-digit scores, led by Rickea Jackson with 20 points. Sabrina Ionescu scored 20 points and Brittney Griner scored 24 points for the Phantom.
Saturday Games
Lunar Owls 78 – 72 Vinyl
The Lunar Owls’ continued victory places them as the top contender for the championship for the inaugural Unrivaled season. The Vinyl led for most of the second quarter, but it was a basket-for-basket affair throughout the game. Skylar Diggins-Smith led the Lunar Owls with 27 points. Hamby went off for the Vinyl to register 31 points and 11 rebounds.
Mist 71 – 62 Rose
The weekend games improved Mist’s winning percentage, with a winning streak of three. The team bagged its second win over the weekend, beating Rose with a 9-point difference, to end their recent winning streak, which helped the team rise to second place on the scoreboard. It was a highly contested game on both ends, with Rose’s largest lead being four points. The biggest lead by the Mist was also by four points at the end of the 3rd quarter, 59 – 55. The Mist jumped into the fourth quarter with a basket to extend their lead to six and maintained it until the end. Breanna Stewart registered 22 points for the Mist and Chelsea Gray scored 38 points for the Rose.
Latest News in the Unrivaled
Unrivaled has only four regular season game days left till the finals. Only four teams are expected to move on to the next round, and so far, the Lunar Owls have cemented their place in the postseason games.
The Unrivaled League secured player licensing and sponsorship rights from the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA). This will be a great win for the new league as it can sell athlete memorabilia, player products, and jerseys.
Friday, March 7
Laces vs. Phantom
Rose vs. Lunar Owls
