Lunar Owls BC escaped with a 66-56 win against Rose BC on Friday at Wayfair Arena in Miami, Florida. The matchup is the battle of Unrivaled's top two teams.
Napheesa Collier led Lunar Owls with 16 points and nine rebounds on 7-for-16 shooting. Shakira Austin scored a season-high 17 points on 8-for-10 shooting. She also contributed six rebounds off the bench. Skylar Diggins-Smith added 12 points and three assists on 4-for-8 shooting.
Courtney Williams contributed 12 points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench, while Allisha Gray had nine points and four rebounds.
Angel Reese led Rose with 17 points and 10 rebounds on 8-for-16 shooting. Brittney Sykes finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and three assists (7-for-16 shooting). Chelsea Gray had 10 points, four rebounds and five assists. She shot 4-for-14, including 2-for-5 from the 3-point line. Azura Stevens contributed eight points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Both teams have already clinched a playoff berth, but a win would've locked Rose (7-6) in the No. 2 spot. On the other hand, Lunar Owls improved to 12-1 and extended their winning streak to four games.
Lunar Owls started its usual trio of Collier, Diggins-Smith and Allisha Gray, while Reese, Chelsea Gray and Sykes started the game for Rose.
Rose BC vs. Lunar Owls BC player stats and box score
Rose BC player stats and box score
Lunar Owls BC player stats and box score
Rose BC vs. Lunar Owls BC game summary
Rose BC had a 16-15 lead over Lunar Owls at the end of the first quarter. Chelsea Gray scored eight points on 3-for-7 shooting for Rose, while Skylar Diggins-Smith scored six (3-for-5 shooting) for Lunar Owls.
The game was tied at 30 heading into the halftime break. Angel Reese already had 10 points and eight rebounds on 5-for-11 shooting.
Lunar Owls outscored Rose 24-16 in the third quarter to bring a 54-46 lead heading into the untimed final frame. The winning score was established at 65. In the fourth quarter, Lunar Owls held on for its 12th victory this season. Napheesa Collier hit the game-winning shot.