After all of the excitement in Week Two of AU Basketball, Team Cloud, led by Washington Mystics guard Natasha Cloud, won a nail-biter in Game 13. First, team Cloud was behind by a 48-42 margin early in the third quarter; next, Team Cloud scored 15 of the following 19 points to gain a 57-52 advantage with 4:37 left in the third.
Overall, Team Cloud never fell behind again and led by as many as 10 points later in the quarter. In total, Team Cloud defeated Team Brown, led by guard Lexie Brown, 85-80.
Team Cloud outrebounded Team Brown by a 44-31 difference and scored 50 of its 85 (58.3 percent) of its points in the paint. However, Team Brown held a 32-16 advantage in points off the bench. The teams combined to make ten three-point field goal attempts, increasing the AU Basketball season total to 193 three-pointers in 13 games.
At this point, Aspiration will plant ten trees for every made three-pointer this season as part of its “Trees for Threes” initiative.
Team Cloud (Team Blue)
Credit: Jade Hewitt Athletes Unlimited
To begin, Connecticut Sun guard/forward DiJonai Carrington reached double figures in scoring for the seventh straight game. Carrington had her fifth 20-point performance with a game-high 25 points. What’s more, she also had 16 points in the beginning 20 minutes after shooting 6-for-11 from the field and 3-for-5 from the charity stripe.
Carrington also became the first AU Basketball player to be sent to the free-throw line for three attempts. The former Baylor Bear was fouled while shooting a three-pointer in the first quarter. The Sun guard/forward missed two of the three foul shots.
Steal by @DijonaiVictoria 🤌
— Athletes Unlimited (@AUProSports) February 10, 2022
Finish by @kalanibrown21 🤩
Team Cloud came out ready to play this half 😈#BeUnlimited | #AUHoops pic.twitter.com/b6wtza9O65
In addition, center Kalani Brown posted her fifth double-digit scoring effort of the season with 16 points. The seventh overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft shot 8-of-12 from the field and had 12 rebounds to record her second double-double.
As for Cloud, she scored an AU Basketball season-low nine points. Surprisingly, this is the first time she hasn’t reached double figures. The Mystics guards also dished out six assists, snapping her streak of six games with seven or more assists in a row.
Lastly, center Drew Edelman came off the bench to get 12 points with five rebounds for Team Cloud. Edelman executed her first double-digit scoring effort of the AU Basketball season.
Team Brown (Team Orange)
Credit: Jade Hewitt Athletes Unlimited
Firstly, Forward Jantel Lavender authored her fourth double-digit scoring effort of the season after finishing with a season-high 21 points. More importantly, 14 of her 21 points came in the first half. Additionally, the 2015 WNBA All-Star made 9-of-17 shots from the field on her way to her first 20-point game of the season.
Furthermore, forward Lauren Manis poured in her first double-double of the season. Manis scored 17 points, including nine in the second half, while bringing down a season-high ten rebounds.
HAVE A GAME, @TheManisLauren 🥵#BeUnlimited | #AUHoops pic.twitter.com/f0n7a6uIhY
— Athletes Unlimited (@AUProSports) February 10, 2022
In this instance, guard Dominique Wilson has three straight double-digit scoring performances after finishing with 15 points and going 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Wilson also connected on four of her five free throws. In truth, the captain of Team Brown has seven straight double-digit scoring efforts after a 14-point performance.
Athletes Unlimited Basketball: Game 13 MVPs (Total Points)
MVP 1: K. Brown (Team Cloud) – 90 points (492 points)
MVP 2: Edelman (Team Cloud) – 60 points (392 points)
MVP 3: Manis (Team Manis) – 30 points (318 points)
Your Game 1️⃣3️⃣ MVPs are… 🥁
— Athletes Unlimited (@AUProSports) February 10, 2022
1️⃣ @kalanibrown21
2️⃣ @Drewbedelman13
3️⃣ @TheManisLauren #BeUnlimited | #AUHoops pic.twitter.com/H6dcgyu2l8
You can follow me on Twitter. Also, follow Beyond Women’s Sports for more from the world of sports.
