Unrivaled: 20-20 game from Angel Reese helps Rose take down Lunar Owls

Well, it finally happened! The Lunar Owls have lost a game.

Rose did what no other team has been able to, defeating the Lunar Owls 72-63 on Friday. It was the first of two games that kicked off the weekend of Unrivaled action. In the second game, Vinyl beat lowly Mist, 72-65.

Unbeaten no more

Rose got the job done, thanks to Angel Reese, who was far and away the best player on the floor. She had 21 rebounds and 22 points. Chelsea Gray also was pivotal in the win, with 26 points, six rebounds and five assists. In their first loss, the Lunar Owls got a good game from Skylar Diggins-Smith, who had 22 points on 10-for-19 shooting. However, their collective 3-point shooting left much to be desired, shooting 3-for-14 from deep.

Reese established herself immediately in this game, scoring the first six points for Rose. Lunar Owls stayed in the game for most of the opening quarter, trailing by just one point with 3:05 left in the first. Rose then went on a 13-6 run to close out the first seven minutes of play. They attacked a lot in transition, using Brittney Sykes’ speed to their advantage. Lunar Owls struggled to stop them on defense and couldn’t convert their own shot attempts.

In the second quarter, Rose exploded. They went on a 9-0 run and had all the momentum, and some breathing room. Lunar Owls had a nice mini-run during the closing minute of the half, but after a Gray jumper right before the half, Rose led by double digits at the break.

Simply put, Gray was destroying Lunar Owls and attacking Allisha Gray at every step. The pick-and-roll actions with Reese worked marvelously, and in this game, that proved to be too much for their undefeated opposition.

Napheesa Collier got going in the third quarter for Lunar Owls, who got to within four points late in the period. Sykes and Gray responded with six points combined to close out the final timed quarter. The team entered the fourth quarter up 61-55. Reese scored the first two points for Rose in the fourth. Then, Gray made five-straight baskets, and Sykes ended the game with the next four points, with the winning shot coming from the free throw line.

Sparks spark Vinyl

Vinyl had a lot of Los Angeles Sparks impact in this win. Dearica Hamby had 23 points and nine rebounds, while Rae Burrell scored 13 points, including the game-winner. Courtney Vandersloot led the Mist with 23 points, and Breanna Stewart had a good game with a double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.

Mist hasn’t won many games, but stayed even with Vinyl during the first quarter of play. They trailed by just two points entering the second quarter. The rest of the half went Vinyl’s way, with Hamby and Rhyne Howard dominating and Jordin Canada distributing the ball well. Stewie tried to keep Mist in the game, scoring six of the team’s last eight points before the halftime break, but they still trailed 43-36 after two quarters of play.

In the third, it was all about Hamby. She went nuclear, scoring the first 11 points for Vinyl. And she did so every which way. Hamby scored inside, hit from deep and Mist had no counter.

During the closing quarter, Hamby began the period with a three-point play before passing the baton to her Sparks teammate Burell, who scored the last nine points for Vinyl as they cruised to the win.

What’s next?

Lunar Owls will be fine, but this game proves they are human and can be beaten. Sure, it took Reese being dominant and Owls shooting very poorly from deep, but the recipe has been found. Rose is rolling now, having shaken off their slow start. For Vinyl, they’ve demonstrated that they are a dangerous team, and Mist, unfortunately, looks to be one of the weaker teams in the league. With four of the six teams making the playoffs, it looks like Mist will be joining Phantom as the two teams that will end their time in Miami early.

On Saturday night, Lunar Owls can offer a response to their first loss, as they face Laces, the league’s second-place team, at 6 p.m. ET. After that, Vinyl will look to build momentum, meeting Phantom at 7 p.m. ET. Both games will be broadcast on truTV.