Vance Ignites Olympians Past Sentinels, 124-100, with Career Night
Vance's Scoring Barrage Leads Olympians to Dominant Victory
By Sarah Jenkins
ATHENS – The Athens Olympians showcased their offensive prowess and defensive grit Saturday night at the Athens Arena, overwhelming the Paris Sentinels with a decisive 124-100 victory. Fueled by an explosive performance from Priya Vance, the Olympians controlled the tempo from the opening tip, extending their winning streak in World Pro League action.
The Sentinels kept it close in the early stages, trading blows with the home squad. However, a pivotal run in the second quarter, sparked by a trio of three-pointers, saw Athens pull away. Priya Vance was the catalyst, connecting on consecutive triples that ignited the crowd and shifted momentum decisively in favor of the Olympians.
Vance led all scorers with a masterful 30 points, adding 5 rebounds and 2 assists to her stat line. Chloe Lee was a force on both ends, contributing 14 points, a game-high 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Priya Mehta provided crucial scoring punch with 17 points. For the Sentinels, Caleb Singh fought hard, pouring in 20 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Athens’ balanced attack and stifling defense.
“We knew this was a big game for us, and we wanted to make a statement,” said Vance after the game, still beaming. “My teammates found me, and I just let it fly. We played with so much energy tonight.”
Olympians head coach, Dimitris Papadopoulos, praised his team’s collective effort. “Tonight was about execution and heart. Priya was incredible, but everyone contributed. Our ball movement was exceptional, and that’s what makes us dangerous.”
Key Notes:
- Athens Olympians dominated ball movement with 32 assists to just 10 turnovers (3.2 AST/TO ratio).
- Priya Vance scored a game-high 30 points, a season-high for the Olympian.
- Liam O’Sullivan grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds for the Paris Sentinels.
- The Olympians shot an impressive 40.0% from beyond the arc (20/50).