Laces BC defeated Mist BC 76-69 in the first game of Saturday's two-game Unrivaled slate at Wayfair Arena in Miami, Florida. The win secured a playoff berth for Laces.
Jackie Young finished with 27 points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench. She shot 10-for-16, including 5-for-8 from the 3-point line. Kayla McBride had 17 points and three rebounds on 6-for-14 shooting (3-for-8 on 3-pointers). Tiffany Hayes added 16 points and seven rebounds (8-for-20 shooting), while Stefanie Dolson contributed 12 points and six rebounds off the bench.
Breanna Stewart led Mist with 24 points and 12 rebounds. She shot 9-for-18, including 2-for-3 from deep. DiJonai Carrington finished with 13 points, five rebounds and three assists off the bench on 5-for-9 shooting. Rickea Jackson added 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Jewell Loyd had eight points and four rebounds on 3-for-9 shooting, while Courtney Vandersloot scored 10 points (5-for-6 shooting) off the bench.
Saturday's win was Laces' second straight, and they improved to 7-7. They secured a playoff berth and sit at No. 3. Meanwhile, Mist dropped to 5-8 and their three-game winning streak was snapped. Mist is a battle with Vinyl BC for the fourth and final postseason spot.
Stewart, Jackson and Loyd started the game for Mist, while Laces started the trio of McBride, Allysa Thomas and Hayes.
Laces BC vs. Mist BC player stats and box score
Mist BC player stats and box score
Laces BC player stats and box score
Laces BC vs. Mist BC game summary
At the end of the first quarter, Mist BC had a 21-20 lead over Laces BC. Jackie Young scored 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting (3-for-3 from the 3-point line) off the Laces bench.
Laces' lead ballooned to double digits midway through the second period. They had a 46-40 lead heading into the break. Young continued her hot start. By half, she had already scored 21 on five 3-pointers. Stefanie Dolson added 10, also off the bench.
On the other end, Breanna Stewart had 11 points and seven rebounds for Mist, while DiJonai Carrington contributed 11 points and four boards on 5-for-7 shooting off the bench.
Laces had a 64-61 lead at the end of a back-to-back third quarter. The winning score was established at 75. In the untimed final period, Laces held on to win. Young hit the game-winning basket that sent the Laces to the postseason.