The Rose BC defeated Phantom BC 71-59 in the first game of Monday's two-game Unrivaled slate at the Wayfair Arena in Miami, Florida.
Angel Reese led Rose with another double-double performance. She finished with 23 points, 14 rebounds and five assists on 8-for-16 shooting. Chelsea Gray had 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists on 10-for-21 shooting, including 5-for-8 on 3-pointers. Lexie Hull added 13 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Brittney Sykes contributed nine points and five rebounds off the bench.
On the other end, Satou Sabally led Phantom with 17 points on 7-for-14 shooting, including 3-for-5 from downtown. Sabrina Ionescu had 15 points, three rebounds and three assists on 5-for-13 shooting. Katie Lou Samuelson added 10 points, while Brittney Griner finished with 10 points and five rebounds off the bench.
Rose extended its win streak to five games. They improved to 6-4, strengthening their hold of the No. 2 spot. On the flip side, Phantom (3-7) is the fifth seed, and with the playoffs looming, every game will be crucial. Only four teams will advance to the playoffs. Phantom is a game behind fourth-placed Mist BC.
Rose started Reese, Gray and Hull, while Sabally, Ionescu and Samuelson started for Phantom.
Rose BC vs. Phantom BC player stats and box score
Phantom BC player stats and box score
Rose BC player stats and box score
Rose BC vs. Phantom BC game summary
Rose BC led Phantom 28-18 at the end of the first quarter. Rose shot an efficient 76.9% (10-for-13). Angel Reese had nine points, five rebounds and four assists, while Chelsea Gray added 11 points.
Phantom was able to trim Rose's lead to three heading into the halftime break, 41-38. At the half, Sabrina Ionescu had 13 points to lead Phantom, while Gray had 15 for Rose.
Rose increased its lead to double digits in the third period, but Phantom was able to cut it to five, 59-54, heading into the untimed fourth quarter. The winning score was established at 70.
In the final quarter, Rose shut down Phantom's attempt to get back and sealed the victory. Gray bagged her squad's fifth-straight win with a pull-up 3-pointer.