Phantom announces themselves as a club to fear with a win over Mist. Lunar Owls show fight but still fall against Laces.
In Monday night’s first Unrivaled game, Phantom trailed Mist at halftime, 36-34. Then, Kelsey Plum happened.
KP opened the pivotal period by scoring the Phantom’s first eight points, converting two layups and nailing a 3. She would finish the frame with 14 points, dropping in another triple and going 6-for-8 from the field overall.
Paced by Plum, the rest of the Ghost Gang also joined in on the third quarter fun, racking up 27 points in the seven-minute section to take a five-point lead, 52-47, and setting them up to secure the win in the untimed fourth quarter.
Mist, unsurprisingly, were not spooked by Phantom’s scoring outburst, as Allisha Gray opened the fourth with a triple that immediately cut their deficit to two points. However, Phantom was ready to respond to Mist’s scores, with Unrivaled rookie Kiki Iriafen serving as the team’s closer.
Iriafen scored eight points in the fourth, finishing 3-for-4 from the field and 1-for-1 from the line. A layup by Kiki put Phantom up 62-57, a point away from the 63-point target score with a five-point cushion. Two-straight scores from Breanna Stewart brought Mist within two points of the target and put the pressure back on the Phantom.
Plum then met the moment, driving on Stewart, nashing under the basketball, sinking the turn-around baseline jumper over Gray and giving Phantom the 64-61 win.
The win served as a testament to Phantom’s balance and versatility. They are a club that can capably compete with opponents through their guards or their posts. Iriafen finished with a game-high 19 points, with Plum right behind her with 18 points.
