Olympians Outshine Wolves 102-94 Behind Lee's Dominance
Lee's Double-Double Lifts Athens Past Chicago in Tense Road Victory
CHICAGO – The Athens Olympians staged a late surge, powered by a monstrous performance from Chloe Lee, to defeat the Chicago Wolves 102-94 in a hard-fought World Pro League contest. The Olympians capitalized on a strong second half, overcoming an early deficit to secure a crucial road win that keeps their playoff hopes burning bright.
The Wolves came out with energy, with Jian Zhao leading the charge early, helping stake Chicago to a modest lead through the first quarter. Jett Alcantara’s timely three-pointers kept the home crowd engaged. However, the Olympians began to chip away, with Priya Vance finding her offensive rhythm, knocking down jumpers and attacking the rim.
The turning point came in the third quarter. After a closely contested first half, Athens found another gear. Chloe Lee, who was dominant on the boards all night, began to assert herself in the paint, scoring from close range and facilitating for her teammates. Her connection with Vance proved particularly potent. The Wolves struggled to contain the Olympians’ inside-outside attack, and a flurry of turnovers allowed Athens to pull ahead.
Despite a valiant effort from Julian Santos and a late scoring burst from Jian Zhao, the Wolves couldn’t close the gap. Lee, finishing with an eye-popping 28 points and 15 rebounds, along with 6 assists, was the catalyst for Athens, while Vance added 23 points. For Chicago, Zhao led all scorers with 18, and Santos contributed a solid 15 points and 8 rebounds.
“We knew this was a tough place to play,” said Olympians coach Elias Thorne. “But our resilience and the leadership of Chloe tonight were exceptional. We found our flow and executed.” Wolves coach Marcus Bell acknowledged the challenge: “We played hard, but Athens made the big plays when it mattered most. We need to learn from this and get better.”
Key Notes:
- Chloe Lee recorded a game-high 28 points and 15 rebounds for the Athens Olympians.
- The Athens Olympians assisted on 28 of their 38 made field goals, showcasing excellent ball movement.
- The Chicago Wolves shot just 35.3% from the field, struggling with offensive consistency.
- Julian Santos was a force in the paint for the Wolves, grabbing 8 rebounds.