Paige Bueckers scored 29 points and Dominique Malonga added a double-double to help Breeze BC eliminate the defending champion Rose BC, 69-50, in the quarterfinals of the Unrivaled playoff on Saturday, Feb. 28, at Sephora Arena in Miami.
The Breeze went on a 13-3 run with 48 seconds left in the first quarter and never looked back in eliminating Angel Reese and the Rose. Reese returned to the Rose with two games left in the regular season in hopes of helping her team compete for back-to-back titles.
Bueckers was named first-team All-Unrivaled earlier Saturday. Malonga had 14 points and 17 rebounds for Breeze, an expansion franchise in the 3-on-3 professional women’s basketball league. Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson added nine points each. The Breeze will play the No. 2-seeded Mist in the semifinals on Monday, March 2, at Barclays Center in New York.
Kahleah Cooper had 15 points to lead Rose. Chelsea Gray, who was second in the league in scoring with 24.2 point a game, had 11 points. She was also name first-team Unrivaled on Saturday.
In the other quarterfinal, Rhyne Howard had 30 points and eight rebounds to power the Vinyl past the Laces, 82-59. Dearica Hamby added 25 points. Vinyl will play the No. 1-seeded Phantom in the other semifinal on Monday.
Brittney Sykes had 22 points and Alyssa Thomas 18 points for Laces.
