The Rose Basketball Club stunned the Lunar Owls as they handed them their first loss of the year in a 72-63 win on Friday.
Led by Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, the Rose passed what would be their biggest test of the season with flying colors. Reese dominated with season highs of 22 points and 21 rebounds as the Rose claimed their fifth victory of the season. Guard Chelsea Gray led the squad with 26 points, marking the third time in four games and the fourth time this season she has earned 20 points or more. Guard Brittney Sykes would hit the game-sealing shot, a free throw off of a shooting foul from a late drive against guard Skylar Diggins-Smith.
The win has only added to a revitalized second half of the Unrivaled season for Reese. The 6-foot-3 forward has earned double-doubles in her last three games. She has hit 50% or more of her tries from the floor in her last two matchups. The WNBA rookie All-Star is one of the league's leaders in rebounds per game with 11.4 per contest. Reese must continue to play an important role on the interior and on the boards for the Rose, who lead the league with 37 rebounds and 10.6 offensive boards per game.
The win put the Rose at above .500 and half a game behind the Laces at third place in the Unrivaled standings. Saturday will be an important day for the Rose with two key matchups that could determine their fate on the leaderboards. A win from the Vinyl on Friday means they are still close behind the Rose heading into a matchup with the Phantom on Saturday. The Rose will look to best the Phantom the following Monday as they try to continue their ascent in the standings.
The Rose will tip off against the Phantom at 7:30 p.m. EST on Monday. The game will be broadcast on TNT.