rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
Unrivaled began its inaugural season on Friday night, and the games did not disappoint. The Lunar Owls opened up action versus the Mist and came from behind in the fourth to win 84-80. Vinyl had a much easier time earning their first victory over Rose. They led throughout the game, and while Rose stayed within striking distance, Vinyl won 79-73.
Action will continue this weekend with Phantom and Laces playing on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET and the Lunar Owls playing versus Rose at 3 p.m. ET. Both games can be viewed on TruTV and MAX.
Skylar Diggins-Smith wins it for Lunar Owls
Trailing 73-64 at the start of the fourth, the Lunar Owls had an uphill battle in the final quarter. With Unrivaled not utilizing a clock during the fourth quarter, the game is decided on a winning score, which is determined by adding 11 points to the leading team’s total after three quarters. In this matchup, that meant the first to 84 points would win.
The Owls slowly chipped away at the lead, and after a 9-2 run, they came all the way back and evened the score at 78. Skylar Diggins-Smith then decided this game was over. She hit a 3-pointer to give the Owls the lead, and after Jewell Loyd brought the Mist back within one, SDS ended the game with an impressive 3-pointer, to which she gave an equally impressive celebration.
Diggins-Smith didn’t just hit the game-winner; she improved throughout the game and had 21 points. The Lunar Owls also got a big game from Napheesa Collier, who scored 27 points on 8-for-13 shooting and grabbed 11 boards in the win.
It was the Jewell Loyd show for the Mist, as she scored 30 points on 50 percent shooting. Rickea Jackson was a certified bucket as well, scoring 15 points in the defeat.
Howard’s game-high leads Vinyl to debut win
After a slow start, Vinyl established control of the second game game and never looked back.
Rhyne Howard was the best version of herself, dominating inside and out, scoring a team-high 33 points. Dearica Hamby messed around and got a double-double, and Arike Ogunbowale was in double figures as a scorer. Rose got some great scoring production from their perimeter players Kahleah Copper and Chelsea Gray. The two combined for 45 points, but everyone else on the roster struggled to put points on the board.
Angel Reese started the scoring for Rose with a four-point scoring burst to start the game. Howard responded with three points from the charity stripe, and after a Hamby basket, Vinyl earned their first lead of the night. The rest of the first was a back-and-forth quarter, but after a pair of 3s from Howard, Vinyl completed the opening quarter up 23-17.
Aliyah Boston took advantage of a mismatch with Azurá Stevens down low and gave Vinyl and eight-point edge midway through the second quarter. Throughout the game, Vinyl won the battle inside, thanks to Boston’s handful of points and Hamby’s monster game. She established her dominance in the paint early and often in this contest. But, Rose didn’t go quietly into the night. They found success with their guards, and thanks to a Brittney Sykes basket and a Gray free throw, the Vinyl lead was just one heading into the third.
Ogunbowale made a very long two-pointer to open the scoring for Vinyl in the third quarter. Howard converted on a three, and suddenly, Vinyl was back in control. Howard kept pouring the points by scoring from all three levels, and it became clear that Vinyl was well on their way to a win. Rose couldn’t deal with the trio of Ogunbowale, Howard and Hamby, who started the third on a 17-6 run. At the end of the third quarter, Vinyl was up 58-67.
In the closing quarter, Gray stayed aggressive and succeeded in keeping Rose in the game. After a 3-pointer by Gray and a Stevens basket, Vinyl had just a two-point lead at 73-71, with the winning score being 78.
Howard was then fouled and made her free throw to make it a 75-71 game. Rose got another two points from Gray, and then Vinyl responded with Hamby finding an open Howard near the rim. Every Rose player took a shot and missed during the following possesion, and then Ogunbowlae found Hamby for the game-sealing basket.
Key takeaways
Teams will have to figure out hierarchies and identities quickly in Unrivaled. Vinyl took advantage of their size with Howard and Hamby, while the Lunar Owls had a balanced approach with Collier and Diggins-Smith
While these were 3×3 games, they were still full-court and scored with two-point and 3-point baskets, rather than one-point and two-point makes like FIBA 3×3. It felt more like traditional 5×5 basketball than a competitive 3×3 game. That’s probably a good thing since these players are, for the most part, known for this 5×5 play. Unrivaled opening night certainly felt like a success. We’ll see what kind of excitement and matchups the rest of the first weekend provides for fans.
