Unrivaled: Phantom wins 3 in a row; Rose snaps 2-game skid

Phantom takes sole control of second place in the Unrivaled standings after outpacing Mist on Saturday night, 83-71.

A late-third quarter burst from the Ghost Gang proved pivotal in securing the victory. And Phantom’s two bigs, Aliyah Boston and Kiki Iriafen, were behind it.

With Phantom up by one point with just over two minutes remaining in the period, Boston hit a 3, assisted by Iriafen, before Kiki scored at the basket, with Aliyah providing the assist.

Iriafen would score six more points before the third-quarter buzzer sounded, including stealing the ball from Alanna Smith, starting the break and getting the ball back for an easy finish at the rim. Boston would also chip in another bucket during the stretch, helping Phantom take an 11-point advantage, 70-59, and setting the winning score at 81.

Mist loomed but never truly threatened in the fourth, with a Natasha Cloud triple sealing the 83-71 win for Phantom.

Along with the crucial close to the third from the AB-Kiki tandem, superior shooting put Phantom in position for the win. The Ghost Gang shot almost 53 percent from the field and made 10 total 3s, including five from Kelsey Plum. Mist, in contrast, experienced severe shooting woes, scratching less than 41 percent from the field and making just two 3s.

Plum’s triples powered her to 28 points, in addition to a game-best seven assists and Player of the Game honors. Iriafen established her new Unrivaled high with 20 points, with Boston contributing 18 points and seven boards. Breanna Stewart matched Plum with 28 points of her own, while Veronica Burton added 15 points. An off night from Allisha Gray, who was 1-for-11, sapped Mist of an expected scoring source.

Winners of three-straight, Phantom advances to 7-3, with a second-straight loss putting Mist at 6-4. Phantom also sweeps the season series, taking both games against Mist.

Rose’s Big 3 comes through for the big win

Last time Rose and Vinyl met, Chelsea Gray went full Point Gawd mode, stealing the comeback win for the Rosebuds with a pair of insane 3-pointers.

The second time around, (somewhat) less drama was required. Rose, coming off two-straight losses, were determined not to suffer another L, with intense, attention-to-detail defense driving them to their 74-66 win.

Vinyl, however, threatened to conjure their own fourth quarter magic and escapr with an improbable win after trailing by as many as 24 points.

Down 62-38 at the end of the third, Vinyl twice sliced Rose’s lead to six points in the fourth. Behind a perfect 7-for-7 fourth quarter performance from Dearica Hamby, Vinyl racked up 28 points before Rose, finally, reached the winning score on jumper from Gray.

Erica Wheeler and Rae Burrell assisted Hamby during Vinyl’s fourth-quarter charge, with Wheeler scoring 11 of her Unrivaled-high 17 points in the quarter. Hamby finished with 27 points and nine rebounds.

Rose’s starting three of Gray, Kahleah Copper and Shakira Austin did the heavy lifting for the victors. Copper led with 26 points, Gray finished with 24 points and eight assists and Austin continued her run of excellent play with a monster 22-point and 18-rebound double-double, plus five blocks, to win Player of the Game.

Rose now sits in fifth place at 5-5, with Vinyl hanging on to a playoff berth in sixth at 4-6. Rose also owns the 2-0 season-series edge over Vinyl.